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San Diego plane crash: Who owned Cessna 550 aircraft that went down in Murphy Canyon?
Cessna 550 private aircraft, owned by David Shapiro, crashed in San Diego's Murphy Canyon on Thursday
A Cessna 550 private aircraft crashed into military housing in San Diego's Murphy Canyon early Thursday, killing multiple people on board. The plane was registered to an Alaska-based LLC named Daviator LLC, CBS 8 reported, citing records. The outlet further added that it had a tail number N666DS.
According to records, Daviator LLC's sole employee and manager is David Shapiro, who lives in El Cajon and is 42 years old. The plane could hold eight to 10 people, but it's not yet known how many were on the aircraft, Assistant San Diego Fire Chief Dan Eddy said.
Officials confirmed that the plane crashed into the US military's largest housing neighborhood just before 4 AM local time. Videos from the scene showed that it might have struck at least one home. About 10 homes suffered damage.
It is unclear if David Shapiro was on the aircraft. CBS 8 report cited FAA records to add that the 42-year-old has been a certified flight instructor since 2010, with his license based in Alaska. San Diego Fire-Rescue said multiple injuries were reported, but no one who lived in the area had been transported to the hospital.
Flight tracking website FlightAware lists a Cessna Citation II jet scheduled to arrive at the Montgomery-Gibbs Executive airport in San Diego at 3:47 AM from the small Colonel James Jabara Airport in Wichita, Kansas. Officials at the Kansas airport said it made a fueling stop in Wichita. The flight originated Wednesday night in Teterboro, New Jersey, according to FlightAware.
“I can’t quite put words to describe what the scene looks like, but with the jet fuel going down the street, and everything on fire all at once, it was pretty horrific to see,” San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation.
