Devil Wears Prada Drummer Daniel Williams Dies in San Diego Plane Crash
Can’t say we saw this rock ‘n’ roll tragedy coming—except for the part where small planes aren’t exactly paraglider-level safe. On May 22, 2025, Daniel Williams, the sticks-wielding backbone of metalcore outfit Devil Wears Prada, lost his life in a heart-stopping crash shortly after taking off from Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport in San Diego, according to TMZ and a statement from his family. Clearly, no amount of drum solos could outpace a mechanical failure that sent Williams and his private pilot plunging into a ravine near Otay Lakes Road.
Court filings and FAA preliminary data (all available via the NTSB website) show the single-engine Piper PA-28R experienced engine trouble at 800 feet, prompting an emergency descent that tragically went south. Williams’s family, in a tear-stained press release shared with People Magazine, confirmed both occupants were killed on impact—no survivors, no heroic landings. His cousin described Daniel as “always chasing the next riff,” which makes the irony of him chasing altitude utterly cruel.
Devil Wears Prada, who’ve carved a reputation for bone-crunching breakdowns and communal mosh pits, took to Instagram to grieve their “brother and heartbeat” with a grainy backstage photo. No tour dates are safe, as fans brace for postponed shows and a memorial concert that the band promises will “honor his legacy rather than hinge on hysteria.” Industry insiders (hi, Billboard) note that Williams’s departure will leave a rhythmic void hard to replace—especially for a band that once hit No. 10 on the Billboard 200.
Family sources tell People they’re working with aviation attorneys to probe maintenance logs and pilot training records. Meanwhile, the NTSB has opened an official investigation, so expect water-cooled engineers and attorneys to start sparring over propeller blades and checklists. Fans and fellow drummers are flooding social feeds with drumstick tributes—#CrashBeat and #RIPDanielWilliams among them—as tribute videos rack up millions of views.
There you have it: a fatal collision that “defies explanation,” according to the FAA, and leaves a metalcore staple forever sidelined. If you’ve got questions about safety protocols for rock stars who double as weekend pilots, now’s the time to ask. So buckle up—this story’s got more twists than a double bass fill. And that’s today’s dose of reality. You’re welcome.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and TMZ, People Magazine, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
