A Shocking Crash Shakes San Diego
In the early morning hours of Thursday, tragedy struck San Diego when a small Cessna jet crashed into military housing in the Tierrasanta neighborhood. The accident killed two people and injured eight others. But beneath the horror lies a deeper, more alarming issue: critical weather instrumentation at Montgomery Field Airport wasn’t working properly.
🚨 What Went Wrong?
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) at Montgomery Field—also known as Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport—stopped functioning consistently as of Tuesday evening, May 20. That’s over two days before the crash occurred.
🌦️ The Critical Role of ASOS
ASOS is essentially the eyes and ears of an airport. It continuously monitors and broadcasts vital weather data like visibility, wind speed, ceiling heights, temperature, and barometric pressure. Pilots rely on this data to make safe decisions when approaching or departing an airport.
As Erica Grow Cei, Public Affairs Specialist and Meteorologist at the NWS, explained: “ASOS plays a crucial role in aviation safety… updating observations every minute, 24/7, all year long.”
⏳ A Timeline of Tragedy
The ill-fated plane, owned by El-Cajon-based Sound Talent Group and piloted by co-founder Dave Shapiro, approached Montgomery Field in challenging conditions just before 4 a.m. The pilot, clearly concerned, asked air traffic control for weather updates and mentioned receiving data from Gillespie Field instead.
The controller warned of poor visibility—only half a mile—and a ceiling of just 200 feet.
“That doesn’t sound great, but we’ll give it a go,” the pilot responded.
Moments later, the aircraft slammed into a military housing unit, damaging about 10 homes, destroying vehicles, and claiming lives.
🕯️ Remembering the Victims
Among the two deceased was Dave Shapiro, an influential figure in the music industry. His death sent ripples through the community, with tributes pouring in from artists and friends. The co-pilot, whose identity has not yet been confirmed, also perished in the crash.
Miraculously, no one inside the affected homes needed hospital treatment, though many were left shaken and displaced.
📡 A Failed System with Deadly Consequences
When the NWS confirmed the outage, it sent shockwaves across aviation and government circles. Even more troubling, the City of San Diego initially denied any reported outages. Later, they clarified that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)—not the city—is responsible for ASOS maintenance and the city had not been informed.
But why didn’t the FAA alert anyone if the system wasn’t working properly? That’s a question still hanging in the air like a storm cloud.
📉 Expert Warnings Ignored?
Thomas Anthony, director of the USC Aviation Safety & Security Program, put it plainly: “If the ASOS is unpredictable or not working, then you increase the hazard of operating—substantially so when there are low ceilings from fog.”
He’s not wrong. Pilots make life-or-death decisions in seconds based on ASOS data. A missing or faulty report can literally crash a plane.
🌍 The Problem with Alternate Sources
Sure, pilots can grab weather data from nearby stations, like the pilot did from Gillespie Field. But in a place like San Diego, where microclimates are common, weather can change dramatically even just a few miles apart.
The pilot’s concern that “conditions could be dramatically different” was more than valid—it was prophetic.
🕵️♀️ Investigating the Crash
The FAA and NTSB are now investigating the crash, including whether the faulty ASOS played a direct role. Meanwhile, the NWS has pledged to support the investigation with all the weather data and insights they have.
Let’s hope this isn’t just another report that gathers dust. Lives were lost. Accountability matters.
🛡️ What Needs to Change?
At the very least, airports must have redundancies in place. If ASOS goes down, a backup system or immediate notification protocol should kick in. Pilots, controllers, and airports all need to be on the same page—especially when lives are at stake.
It’s also time for the FAA to take a long hard look at its communication and maintenance procedures.
💡 In Summary
This wasn’t just a tragic accident. It was a wake-up call. A preventable flaw in a critical safety system may have contributed to two deaths and multiple injuries. We need answers—and more importantly—action.
❓ FAQs
1. What is ASOS and why is it important?
ASOS (Automated Surface Observing System) provides real-time weather updates to pilots, helping them make critical flight decisions.
2. Why was the weather data unreliable at Montgomery Field?
ASOS stopped consistently transmitting data on May 20, and no official notification was made to the airport or pilots.
3. Who is responsible for ASOS maintenance?
The FAA is in charge of maintaining ASOS systems, not the local city or airport authority.
4. Could this crash have been prevented?
While investigations are ongoing, many experts believe functional ASOS might have changed the outcome.
5. What happens next?
The FAA and NTSB are investigating. We may see changes in how weather system outages are reported and managed in the future.