Scott Watson, a technology executive for Walt Disney Imagineering, has died as the result of a plane crash. He was 55 years old.
Watson was killed Sunday as the plane he was piloting crashed in the Sylmar neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. He was the lone occupant in the aircraft at the time of the crash. According to KABC, officials say that the plane may have experienced an “in-flight emergency,” and attempted to land the plane on the nearby 5 freeway, but the freeway was too crowded to land safely. Watson was an experienced pilot on his way home from a weekend trip, his daughter stated in a CBS Los Angeles report. The National Transportation Safety Board said they will investigate the crash.
Watson worked at WDI for nearly thirty years as a ride programmer, working on computer systems for attractions at Disney parks around the world, including Disneyland’s Indiana Jones Adventure, according to the Los Angeles Daily News.
Walt Disney Imagineering President, Bob Weis, said in a statement: “The Walt Disney Company is stunned and saddened by the loss of our long-time friend and colleague, Scott Watson… Those of us who worked with Scott during his nearly 30-year career at Disney knew him as a humble genius who made making magic look easy. Our hearts are with his family during this difficult time.”