Inside NTSB Findings: Engine Failure in Devil Wears Prada Drummer’s Jet Crash
Time to break down the NTSB’s sobering verdict on the April 15 private jet tragedy that claimed the life of Daniel Williams, drummer for metalcore outfit The Devil Wears Prada, and five others. According to the Preliminary Report released June 3, 2024, by the National Transportation Safety Board, a sudden fracture of the left-engine high-pressure turbine wheel triggered an in-flight fire at 31,000 feet. The rotor disintegrated, puncturing a fuel line that ignited almost instantly, and produced smoke that quickly overwhelmed the cabin. No distress signal made it through—transponder data cut out at 9:24 a.m. Pacific, and cockpit voice recordings captured only a single, frantic “Mayday” before silence.
Corroborated by an FAA bulletin obtained by People magazine, maintenance records show the Citation CJ4 had flown 526 hours past its 500-hour inspection interval on the left engine. The last overhaul—conducted in April 2022 by a non-certified technician in Miami—did not include mandated X-ray scanning of the turbine assembly, according to the report. Investigators also flagged discrepancies in oil-filter replacement logs, a factor that may have accelerated the turbine’s wear.
Witness statements collected by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office paint a chilling scene: thick black smoke trailing the aircraft moments before a high-speed descent. A local farmer told Rolling Stone he saw debris raining down before the jet slammed into a hillside three miles north of runway 26. Emergency locator transmitters failed to activate, further delaying rescue teams. By the time ground crews arrived, the fuselage was already engulfed.
In an exclusive statement to Rolling Stone, bandmate Mike Hranica remembered Williams as “relentless on stage and in life.” The drummer had been en route to a West Coast festival when the jet lifted off from Van Nuys, California. Passengers included the band’s tour manager, a flight attendant, and three close friends. The FAA has now opened an enforcement review to determine if the operator violated Federal Aviation Regulations, while the NTSB plans a public hearing on July 10 in Washington, D.C.
With the final report months away, families are left grappling with unanswered questions about oversight failures and design flaws. Meanwhile, the aviation community is bracing for potential service bulletins on CJ4 engine inspections. And there you have it—make of that what you will.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and NTSB Preliminary Report (June 3, 2024); FAA Bulletin via People magazine; Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office witness interviews; Rolling Stone bandmate statement
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
