• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
New details emerge over devastating plane crash that claimed life of famous drummer Daniel Williams

Home> News> US News

Published 16:39 23 May 2025 GMT+1

New details emerge over devastating plane crash that claimed life of famous drummer Daniel Williams

Crash investigators have shared details about what they believe caused the horrific incident

Olivia Burke

Olivia Burke

Featured Image Credit: Noel Vasquez/Getty Images

Topics: Music, US News, Celebrity, Travel

Olivia Burke
Olivia Burke

Olivia is a journalist at LADbible Group with more than five years of experience and has worked for a number of top publishers, including News UK. She also enjoys writing food reviews (as well as the eating part). She is a stereotypical reality TV addict, but still finds time for a serious documentary.

X

@livburke_

Advert

Advert

Advert

Further details surrounding the devastating plane crash which killed drummer Daniel Williams and five others have emerged.

The musician, who is a former member of the Ohio-based metal band The Devil Wears Prada, is among those who perished in the tragedy which took place in the early hours of Thursday (22 May) morning.

He had been onboard a Cessna 550 owned by talent agent Dave Shapiro, 42, while travelling from New Jersey when horror struck in the skies as he made his way to San Diego.

Advert

According to flight tracking data, the small privately-owned plane took off from Teterboro Airport on Wednesday (21 May) evening at 11.15pm.

It is understood that the aircraft stopped for fuel in Wichita, Kansas, before it then continued it's journey to the Californian city, although it never reached the Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport as planned.

Debris is littered across the San Diego neighbourhood where the plane crashed on Thursday (SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP via Getty Images)
Debris is littered across the San Diego neighbourhood where the plane crashed on Thursday (SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP via Getty Images)

Instead - just hours after Williams, 39, had shared a tongue-in-cheek post from the cockpit - the plane came crashing down in a neighbourhood in San Diego, careering into several homes shortly before 4am.

The drummer, Shapiro and two Sound Talent Group employees - which is a music agency Shapiro co-founded in 2018 - were reportedly killed in the fireball which ensued.

Advert

A spokesperson for the company said: "We are devastated by the loss of our co-founder, colleagues and friends.

"Our hearts go out to their families and to everyone impacted by today’s tragedy. Thank you so much for respecting their privacy at this time."

William's former The Devil Wears Prada bandmates also paid tribute to the talented artist and Shapiro in a social media post, saying: "No words. We owe you everything. Love you forever."

Drummer Daniel Williams is among the victims of the horror incident (Instagram/@xcadaverx)
Drummer Daniel Williams is among the victims of the horror incident (Instagram/@xcadaverx)

Emergency responders have now shared some insights from the distressing scene they were called to in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Advert

Reports suggest that numerous homes were ablaze, alongside half a dozen vehicles, as jet fuel leaked down streets close to the crash site - in the neighbourhood which is designed to house military service personnel that is managed by Liberty House Homes.

Eight residents were taken to hospital for smoke inhalation and non-life-threatening injuries, officials said, including one person who was injured while escaping their property out of a window.

Discussing the 'horrific' scene, San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said: "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.

Investigators described the scene as 'horrific' (Ariana Drehsler/Getty Images)
Investigators described the scene as 'horrific' (Ariana Drehsler/Getty Images)

"It was pretty horrific to see," Wahl said.

Advert

The subsequent fog which engulfed the area following the plane crash was so thick that 'you could barely see in front of you', assistant San Diego Fire Department Chief Dan Eddy said, adding: "We have jet fuel all over the place".

Eddy explained it was a 'bit of a miracle' that there were no fatalities on the ground, as one resident told how the crash 'put our truck in our living room'.

Investigators have also been looking at the flight path of the aircraft while trying to piece together what went wrong.

Eliott Simpson, a senior aviation accident investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), told a news conference that it seemed as though the plane had 'struck power lines' before coming down, USA Today reports.

Explaining that NTSB experts will be handling the probe, he said: "(The plane) struck power lines about two miles southeast of the airport, then collided with a house."

Advert

Tributes have been pouring in for Williams, Shaprio and the three unidentified victims who were also on board the fateful flight.

  • Famous drummer Daniel Williams dies as plane crashes into houses after posting chilling photo from cockpit
  • Shocking details emerge over what happened backstage after Jane's Addiction frontman had fight with guitarist mid-song
  • 'No survivors’ expected as officials give update on ‘devastating’ American Airlines plane and helicopter crash
  • New details have emerged about 'shocking' passenger plane crash that 'fell from the sky' in Brazil

Choose your content:

3 hours ago
4 hours ago
6 hours ago
  • 3 hours ago

    How long it takes brain to return to normal dopamine levels after substance abuse

    Alcohol and drugs can do serious damage to your brain but how long does it take for the organ's dopamine levels to return to normal?

    News
  • 4 hours ago

    Aviation experts identify potential cause of Air India crash that crashed with 242 on board

    An investigation into the crash is currently underway

    News
  • 4 hours ago

    Medical report claims Brit mum whose 'heart went missing' after mysterious death died from food poisoning

    The mum-of-two died while on a family holiday in Turkey

    News
  • 6 hours ago

    Diddy's son could be thrown out of court over T-shirt he wore to trial

    People aren't meant to wear clothes with slogans on them in court

    News