The investigation continued Friday into why a Cessna 550 plunged into a Murphy Canyon neighborhood, apparently killing six people aboard the plane, but, thanks to fast action on the part of first responders and neighbors, no one on the ground.
Here’s a rundown of what we know:
The latest – An investigator on scene offered an update Friday afternoon, about 24 hours after National Transportation Safety Board teams began to arrive following the crash, which he said killed all aboard.
Authorities are still waiting to confirm the number and identities of all the passengers, but six had been presumed to be flying to Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport early Thursday. Investigators also will examine whether the pilot could have been hampered by a faulty weather data and lighting systems that were down at the time of the crash.
“The pilot did not report any problems to air traffic control and he did not declare an emergency,” said the investigator, Dan Baker.
Confirmed casualties – As of late Friday, the official count of the dead includes three people – talent agency co-founder Dave Shapiro, also a pilot, and two others, Emma L. Huke, 25, and Celina Marie Rose Kenyon, 36. But family members and friends have identified Dominic Damian, Kendall Fortner and Daniel Williams as the others lost in the crash. Huke and Fortner worked at Shapiro’s agency.
Impact in neighborhood – Investigators from the NTSB said the Cessna hit power lines roughly two miles southeast of the airport. Once the plane plummeted into the 3100 block of Salmon Street, it left one home with severe fire damage and a collapsed roof. At least 10 other residences were damaged, authorities said, along with several vehicles that were mangled and destroyed. The NTSB said their team should wrap up on scene in up to three days. They began removing the plane wreckage Friday.
A theory – Former NTSB and FAA crash investigator Jeff Guzzetti said that he thinks dense fog and fatigue were likely factors in the crash.
“This accident has all the earmarks of a classic attempt to approach an airport in really bad weather and poor visibility,” Guzzetti said. “And there were other airports that the crew could have gone to.”
Quote of the day: “Doesn’t sound great, but we’ll give it a go,” the pilot, who hasn’t been named, told an air traffic controller about weather and visibility on approach to the airport, according to audio recordings.
What’s next – The NTSB has begun its investigation and a preliminary report is expected to be released within a month, but the full probe could take up to two years.
The Associated Press and City News Service contributed to this report.
Updated 8:10 p.m. May 23, 2025
