N666DS Cessna Citation Aviation Accident 2025-05-22: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 21:55, 24 May 2025

FATAL ACCIDENT (6) - Daviator LLC, Cessna S550 Citation S/II, N666DS, near Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport (MYF/KMYF), San Diego, CA, May 22, 2025.

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Accident Information


Approx. Accident Location	Aircraft Fat.	Aircraft Inj.	Ground Fat.	Ground Inj.	ASN Entry
32°48'11.85"N, 117°6'22.32"W	6	0	0	0	Aviation Safety Network

Aircraft Information


Type	Operator	Registration	Serial Number	Manufacture Date
Cessna S550 Citation S/II	Daviator LLC	N666DS	S550-0056	1985

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On the morning of May 22, 2025, a small business jet, believed to be a Cessna Citation S/II with the callsign “N666DS,” crashed into the Tierrasanta military housing community in San Diego while attempting to land at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport.

Authorities have… https://t.co/wEI23VWD6J pic.twitter.com/923NUQpRKi
— Intel Tower🗽 (@inteltower) May 22, 2025

Live ATC

RNAV 28R APPROACH PLATE

ASX Accident Report

On May 22, 2025, at approximately 3:47 a.m. local time, a Cessna S550 Citation S/II business jet registered as N666DS crashed into a residential military housing community in San Diego, California, during an approach to Runway 28R at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport (KMYF). The aircraft, operated by Daviator LLC and owned by pilot and Sound Talent Group co-founder Dave Shapiro, had departed Wichita-Colonel James Jabara Airport (KAAO) following an earlier leg from Teterboro, New Jersey. The flight encountered deteriorating weather conditions on approach, including low visibility and dense fog, compounded by a non-functional Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) at KMYF, limiting situational awareness for the flight crew.

The aircraft, carrying six occupants, impacted terrain after descending below the RNAV 28R glidepath and striking high-tension power lines approximately two miles from the airport threshold. The resulting crash caused severe structural fragmentation and ignition of jet fuel, initiating multiple fires that engulfed at least 15 vehicles and 10 homes in the Tierrasanta neighborhood. The aircraft was destroyed, and both pilots were killed on impact. All fatalities occurred onboard the aircraft; no deaths were reported among residents, although at least eight individuals on the ground sustained injuries, including smoke inhalation and trauma from secondary evacuations.

Air traffic recordings confirmed that the crew was aware of the ASOS outage and inquired about nearby airport weather minima. Controllers relayed conditions from nearby Miramar and Brown Field airports. The final radio exchange reflected the crew’s concern regarding marginal weather, with visibility reported below 1/2 statute mile and ceiling obscured below 200 feet at Miramar. Despite this, the crew elected to continue the RNAV 28R approach. The aircraft's final ADS-B data showed it descending at a stable profile until point PENYY but then deviating below the vertical path and failing to maintain clearance from known obstacles, including the marked 554-foot powerline mast.

Post-crash investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began immediately on-site. Investigators recovered wreckage fragments scattered over a quarter-mile radius. The aircraft's destruction precluded immediate confirmation of total occupants, but the FAA verified six persons were aboard. The Citation was built in 1985 and configured for private executive use. The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder, if present, were planned for recovery for further analysis. Preliminary indications do not point to fuel starvation, as extensive contamination from spilled jet fuel was evident across streets and structures, with hazmat teams deployed.

Among the deceased were three employees of Sound Talent Group, including the company’s founder. Their identities were confirmed based on FAA pilot certification records and company statements. The crash also resulted in significant damage to the local environment and infrastructure, with over 100 residents displaced. Emergency responders, including the military and municipal agencies, coordinated to evacuate the area and establish triage and decontamination zones. Jet fuel exposure required special treatment for several pets, and the Red Cross assisted in temporary housing relocation.

As of this report, the NTSB continues to document and analyze flight path data, meteorological overlays, and audio recordings. Investigators are also reviewing crew experience, maintenance logs, and airport navigational infrastructure failures. A preliminary report is expected within two weeks, while final findings may take up to a year. The event marks a rare but high-impact example of approach phase controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) under instrument meteorological conditions, with systemic weather communication issues contributing to spatial disorientation and final descent misalignment.

This page will be updated as more information becomes available.

Tracking and Social Media

Flight Tracking: flightradar24, FlightAware, ADS-B Exchange, AirNav Radar
Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube

Sources and References

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-<span style="color:#da0000;">'''FATAL ACCIDENT (2)'''</span>''' - Daviator LLC, Cessna S550 Citation S/II, N666DS, near Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport (MYF/KMYF), San Diego, CA, May 22, 2025.'''
+<span style="color:#da0000;">'''FATAL ACCIDENT (6)'''</span>''' - Daviator LLC, Cessna S550 Citation S/II, N666DS, near Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport (MYF/KMYF), San Diego, CA, May 22, 2025.'''
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-     <td>[[File:N666DSa.jpg|260x160px]]</td>
+     <td>[[File:N666DSa.jpg|260x360px]]</td>
-     <td>[[File:N666DSb.jpg|260x160px]]</td>
+     <td>[[File:N666DSb.jpg|260x360px]]</td>
-     <td>[[File:N666DSh.jpg|260x160px]]</td>
+     <td>[[File:N666DSh.jpg|260x360px]]</td>
-     <td>[[File:Plate1.png|260x160px]]</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td>[[File:ADS-B tracking.jpg|260x360px]]</td>
+     <td>[[File:FlightAware.jpg|240x360px]]</td>
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 == Videos ==
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-<td><embedvideo service="youtube" dimensions="380x214" alignment="left">v=p6OStFUZb8s</embedvideo></td><td><embedvideo service="youtube" dimensions="380x214" alignment="left">MikOezAdtfU</embedvideo></td>
+<td><embedvideo service="youtube" dimensions="380x214" alignment="left">v=m0EvonKFzcA</embedvideo></td><td><embedvideo service="youtube" dimensions="380x214" alignment="left">v=liyvsN9X3dw</embedvideo></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td><embedvideo service="youtube" dimensions="380x214" alignment="left">v=bJL_sOiCkw8</embedvideo></td><td><embedvideo service="youtube" dimensions="380x214" alignment="left">v=4_gZNYdwqAc</embedvideo></td>
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+<html>
+<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">On the morning of May 22, 2025, a small business jet, believed to be a Cessna Citation S/II with the callsign “N666DS,” crashed into the Tierrasanta military housing community in San Diego while attempting to land at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport. <br><br>Authorities have… <a href="https://t.co/wEI23VWD6J">https://t.co/wEI23VWD6J</a> <a href="https://t.co/923NUQpRKi">pic.twitter.com/923NUQpRKi</a></p>&mdash; Intel Tower🗽 (@inteltower) <a href="https://twitter.com/inteltower/status/1925538745253863679?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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-== NTSB Final Report ==
+== RNAV 28R APPROACH PLATE ==
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    <tr>
-     <td>[[File:Plate1.png|200px]]</td>
+     <td>[[File:Plate1.png|400px]]</td>
-     <td>[[https://aeronav.faa.gov/d-tpp/2505/05401R28R.PDF RNAV 28R PLATE]]</td>
+     <td>[https://aeronav.faa.gov/d-tpp/2505/05401R28R.PDF RNAV 28R APPROACH PLATE]</td>
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 == ASX Accident Report ==
-On July 8, 2009, a Cessna 421C Golden Eagle, registration N4467D, departed from Collin County Regional Airport in McKinney, Texas, en route to Tampa International Airport in Florida. The aircraft was operated by Q4 Aviation LLC as a corporate executive flight conducted under Part 91 regulations. On board were the company president Roland Schurrer, corporate pilot Steve Barrows, a marketing representative, and two business associates from Tampa. The flight was conducted under instrument flight rules, and the pilot had filed an IFR flight plan after reviewing convective weather activity along the intended route.
+On May 22, 2025, at approximately 3:47 a.m. local time, a Cessna S550 Citation S/II business jet registered as N666DS crashed into a residential military housing community in San Diego, California, during an approach to Runway 28R at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport (KMYF). The aircraft, operated by Daviator LLC and owned by pilot and Sound Talent Group co-founder Dave Shapiro, had departed Wichita-Colonel James Jabara Airport (KAAO) following an earlier leg from Teterboro, New Jersey. The flight encountered deteriorating weather conditions on approach, including low visibility and dense fog, compounded by a non-functional Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) at KMYF, limiting situational awareness for the flight crew.
-The aircraft departed McKinney at approximately 10:00 a.m. local time. As the flight progressed into the Gulf of Mexico airspace, it encountered a band of severe convective weather associated with a rapidly developing cumulonimbus cloud system. At 2:46 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, pilot Steve Barrows contacted Jacksonville ARTCC to report moderate to severe turbulence and downdrafts of approximately 2,000 feet per minute. The controller advised the pilot to continue straight ahead to escape the turbulence. Within the next minute, the pilot confirmed the aircraft was descending rapidly and requested a course reversal.
-Shortly after being cleared to turn around, the pilot declared an emergency and transmitted that the aircraft was "upside down." These were the final transmissions from N4467D. Radar contact with the aircraft was lost as it descended below radar coverage approximately 25 nautical miles northwest of Port Richey, Florida. No further communications were received, and the aircraft did not arrive at its destination. The Coast Guard initiated search and rescue operations later that day.
-That evening, a debris field approximately two miles long and 100 yards wide was discovered floating on the surface of the Gulf. A second debris field was located the following day, approximately four miles northeast of the first. Search efforts were suspended after failing to locate any survivors. Despite sonar scans detecting possible wreckage targets, poor underwater conditions and lack of definitive identification led to the termination of recovery operations. The bodies of the occupants were not recovered, and most of the aircraft wreckage remains unrecovered.
-Meteorological analysis revealed that the accident occurred within a region characterized by intense convective activity. Radar imagery from the National Center for Atmospheric Research showed that the aircraft encountered echoes ranging from 35 to over 50 dBZ, indicative of heavy rain and likely hail within a mature thunderstorm cell. The aircraft's route took it directly into the most active segment of the storm, which included defined overshooting tops and a well-developed anvil cloud structure. These are typical markers of maximum storm intensity.
-The Cessna 421C was equipped with multiple weather detection systems, including an onboard weather radar, a Stormscope lightning detector, and XM satellite weather data. However, the NTSB report emphasized the limitations of airborne radar systems in high-attenuation environments, especially in heavy precipitation and dense cumulonimbus clouds. Radar attenuation and precipitation shadowing can result in misleading returns, leading pilots to believe they are clear of severe cells when in fact they are approaching them. In this case, the aircraft likely penetrated the storm core inadvertently due to these limitations.
-The pilot, Steve Barrows, held a commercial certificate with multi-engine and instrument ratings and had accumulated approximately 1,940 flight hours. He was 33 years old and held a valid second-class medical certificate. According to FAA records, the aircraft was in compliance with required inspections, with the last annual performed on August 18, 2008, and a maintenance log entry two days prior to the flight. The aircraft had accumulated 4,325 total hours at the time of the accident. It was powered by two Continental GTSIO-520-L engines and had been modified by RAM Aircraft with performance-enhancing upgrades including winglets and vortex generators.
-The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of the accident to be the pilot’s decision to operate into an area of known adverse weather, which resulted in an inadvertent penetration of a severe thunderstorm. This incursion led to a loss of aircraft control and an in-flight structural breakup. The wreckage analysis and Doppler radar data supported the conclusion that the aircraft broke apart mid-air after entering the convective core, consistent with high stress loads associated with turbulence and severe updrafts or downdrafts.
-ATC communication transcripts confirmed that the pilot was actively seeking weather avoidance guidance and had requested both ride reports and vectoring support. Despite the pilot’s intentions to avoid the storm, rapid storm development and possibly misleading radar interpretation contributed to the final trajectory into the storm’s most severe region. While ground-based radar operators may have had a broader view, the dynamic nature of the storm and limited time to respond likely compounded the situation.
+The aircraft, carrying six occupants, impacted terrain after descending below the RNAV 28R glidepath and striking high-tension power lines approximately two miles from the airport threshold. The resulting crash caused severe structural fragmentation and ignition of jet fuel, initiating multiple fires that engulfed at least 15 vehicles and 10 homes in the Tierrasanta neighborhood. The aircraft was destroyed, and both pilots were killed on impact. All fatalities occurred onboard the aircraft; no deaths were reported among residents, although at least eight individuals on the ground sustained injuries, including smoke inhalation and trauma from secondary evacuations.
-'''Lisa's interpretation of the real-time NEXRAD radar flight path overlay (figure 4):'''
+Air traffic recordings confirmed that the crew was aware of the ASOS outage and inquired about nearby airport weather minima. Controllers relayed conditions from nearby Miramar and Brown Field airports. The final radio exchange reflected the crew’s concern regarding marginal weather, with visibility reported below 1/2 statute mile and ceiling obscured below 200 feet at Miramar. Despite this, the crew elected to continue the RNAV 28R approach. The aircraft's final ADS-B data showed it descending at a stable profile until point PENYY but then deviating below the vertical path and failing to maintain clearance from known obstacles, including the marked 554-foot powerline mast.
-<i>The red and white dot-track slicing west to east into that convective wall is staggering in what it confirms: a direct and tightening trajectory into a band of intensifying precipitation cells. Frame by frame, the atmospheric violence builds — dBZ returns moving from yellow-green to solid red cores, likely punching past 50 dBZ in the final echo sweep. That final red mass in Frame 4 is not just extreme convection — it’s structural failure airspace.
+Post-crash investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began immediately on-site. Investigators recovered wreckage fragments scattered over a quarter-mile radius. The aircraft's destruction precluded immediate confirmation of total occupants, but the FAA verified six persons were aboard. The Citation was built in 1985 and configured for private executive use. The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder, if present, were planned for recovery for further analysis. Preliminary indications do not point to fuel starvation, as extensive contamination from spilled jet fuel was evident across streets and structures, with hazmat teams deployed.
-What strikes me hardest is how textbook it is for radar attenuation illusions. In Frame 1, you might convince yourself you see a “gap” north of KSRQ. By Frame 2–3, that gap is closing. In Frame 4, there's no ambiguity — just core-to-core storm fusion. And our track punches straight through the storm’s heart, at cruising altitude, with minimal lateral deviation.
+Among the deceased were three employees of Sound Talent Group, including the company’s founder. Their identities were confirmed based on FAA pilot certification records and company statements. The crash also resulted in significant damage to the local environment and infrastructure, with over 100 residents displaced. Emergency responders, including the military and municipal agencies, coordinated to evacuate the area and establish triage and decontamination zones. Jet fuel exposure required special treatment for several pets, and the Red Cross assisted in temporary housing relocation.
-This is what inflight breakup looks like in radar form.</i>
+As of this report, the NTSB continues to document and analyze flight path data, meteorological overlays, and audio recordings. Investigators are also reviewing crew experience, maintenance logs, and airport navigational infrastructure failures. A preliminary report is expected within two weeks, while final findings may take up to a year. The event marks a rare but high-impact example of approach phase controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) under instrument meteorological conditions, with systemic weather communication issues contributing to spatial disorientation and final descent misalignment.
 '''This page will be updated as more information becomes available.'''