San Diego airport experienced glitches before fatal plane crash

Researchers investigate whether foggy circumstances and technical glitches at an airport of San Diego that cut off lights that are intended to guide pilots may have played a role in a fatal aircraft crash.

A Cessna 550 crashed early on Thursday in a residential area, burning cars and destroyed at least one house.

Authorities say that all six on board are assumed to death, including a former drummer for the rock band The Devil Wears Prada and a high -profile music agent.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a mix of instructions and said that the aircraft had no flight data recorder, which would have provided more information. Civil servants do not yet have exactly which factors have led to the crash.

In a press conference on Friday, NTSB researcher Dan Baker said that the agency receives help from the FBI while it works to collect and save evidence from the scene.

He said that researchers discovered that the plane had hit high -voltage tension pipes before they poured houses into the Murphy Canyon district, about two miles from the airport of Montgomery Field – where the plane went.

The airport, a small regional airport with three runways, experienced two separate problems at the time of the crash, Mr Baker said. The automated surface station, which again offers pilots, was “not working at the time of the accident due to a non -related electric surge”.

At the time, foggy conditions were reported throughout the area.

Mr. Baker attributed the malfunction to “a kind of technical glitch”, but warned that it is unclear whether this contributed to the crash, because not all airports are equipped with this system.

The airport had also submitted a message to pilots called a notam and inquired that one of the runways had experienced a problem with the lighting system that leads the landing of aircraft.

The pilot of the redesigned plane had aimed at that runway when the crash took place, Mr Baker said.

The pilot has not reported air control problems and never declared an emergency, said Mr Baker.

The Cessna was not equipped with a flight data recorder and investigating officials whether it may have had a cockpit voting recorder on board.

The crash happened around 3:45 local time (10:45 GMT) and about 100 people had to be evacuated from the neighborhood, just northeast of the city of San Diego.

Eight people were injured on the ground, including someone who was taken to the hospital.

A preliminary report from the NTSB is expected to be released within 30 days, with a final report in the next 12 to 24 months.

The names of four of the six people on board the flight when it crashed have been released so far.

Emma Huke, 25 and Kendall Fortner, 24, were mentioned as on the plane by their employer, Sound Talent Group.

Fortner “was the life of the party and enlightened every room she came in,” the company said in a statement on Friday.

Huke was “a beautiful soul that brought joy and a light to everyone in her presence”.

The company had previously confirmed the death of his co-founder, prominent music agent Dave Shapiro. Shapiro had worked with rock groups, including Sum 41, Story of the Year, Parkway Drive and singer Vanessa Carlton.

He was also an avid pilot and a certified flight instructor with 15 years of experience, according to his Aviation Company Velocity Aviation.

Former The Devil Wears Prada drummer Daniel Williams was also killed in the crash, members of the group confirmed in tribute that was placed online.

In the hours before the crash he placed images on Instagram of himself and Shapiro who were in the cockpit of the plane, according to the San Diego Union stand.

Williams was one of the founders of the Devil Wears Prada and more than 10 years part of the Christian Metal Band before he said goodbye in 2016.

The band posted a series of photos of Williams on Instagram and showed him with drumsticks, fly in a plane and several times with colleague band members.

“No words. We owe you everything,” is the message. “I love you forever.”