A Reedley College flight instructor and two children were killed Saturday when a small plane crashed shortly after attempting to take off from Sierra Sky Park in northwest Fresno.
Danna Eady, 41, of Auberry, died at Community Regional Medical Center after sustaining critical injuries in the crash.
Driving the news: Emergency crews responded around 1:50 p.m. to the 7300 block of North Blythe Avenue, where a single-engine plane had crashed and caught fire on a bluff overlooking the San Joaquin River.
Firefighters extinguished the flames before they spread to nearby homes.
Two children were found dead inside the wreckage. Eady and an adult man were found outside the aircraft and taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Eady later died from her injuries. Her husband, Craig Eady, suffered third-degree burns and remained hospitalized.
Family members confirmed that the two children who died were the couple’s youngest sons.
The big picture: Reedley College said the accident did not involve one of its aircraft or any of its students.
The college said it was told the plane crashed during an attempted takeoff from Sierra Sky Park. The cause has not been determined.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.
Who she was: Eady was a certified flight instructor and mentor in Reedley College’s Flight Science Department.
She was especially close to the five women enrolled in the program, who considered her a role model as they pursued careers in aviation.
“Danna was a valued member of our Flight Science Department, and a tremendous certified flight instructor,” Reedley College President Jerry Buckley said. “We will miss her greatly.”
Eady was also the founder of Meraki Aviation, a Fresno company providing aircraft rentals and flight instruction. She served as president of the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Sierra Sky Park chapter and volunteered with programs introducing young people to aviation, according to The Business Journal.
What’s next: Reedley College canceled its Tuesday flight science classes and said counseling would be available to students and employees.
Federal investigators have not released a preliminary determination regarding what caused the plane to crash.
Friends and family have established an online campaign to assist with funeral expenses, Craig Eady’s medical treatment and the family’s other needs.