NEED TO KNOW
A mother and her two children died after a single-engine plane crashed near Sierra Sky Park Airport in Fresno
A man remains hospitalized in critical condition as investigators work to determine the cause of the crash
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation while a safety perimeter secures the crash site
A mother and her two children have died following a plane crash in California.
At around 1:50 p.m. local time on Saturday, Sept. 5, emergency service personnel responded to reports of a plane crash near the Sierra Sky Park Airport in northwest Fresno, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook. They arrived to find a single-engine airplane on fire atop the bluff of the San Joaquin River.
Firefighters quickly extinguished the flames, ensuring that they wouldn’t spread to neighboring properties. Residents in the area briefly lost power at the time of the crash, ABC 30 reported.
Four people were in the plane when the incident occurred, according to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. Two children died at the scene, while two adults were rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Emergency crews respond to the scene of a plane crash in Fresno, Calif.
Credit: Fresno County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook
A woman, identified as Danna Eady, 41, of Auberry, later died in the hospital, according to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. A man remains hospitalized in critical condition.
“Danna was always just up for an adventure. So, I know she is still on an adventure right now and this is… she just loved adventure,” Nick Wilcox, a longtime friend and flight instructor told ABC 7. “She loved flying. She died doing what she loved. She’s probably on another adventure because that’s the kind of person she was.”
According to the outlet, the aircraft was carrying certified flight instructor Danna, her husband, Craig, and their two youngest children. Over $30,000 has been donated to a fundraiser to support the couple’s two older children and cover Craig’s medical care.
“As you can imagine, a very chaotic scene and anytime you don’t have anybody involved in something traumatic that you can speak to directly to try and get their account, it kind of puts us in the back seat,” said Fresno County Sheriff’s Office public information officer Tony Botti in a press conference on Sunday, Sept. 6.
“We don’t know what happened. We haven’t been able to interview anybody that’s involved, so at this point it’s going to be up to investigators to start backtracking, talking to anybody who might have known about this flight, any communication logs and things like that,” he continued.
“Hopefully, God willing, the man in the hospital is able to survive and it comes to a point where he’s coherent enough to give a statement that could really help to fill in the gaps for investigators,” said Botti.
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According to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is conducting an investigation into the crash. A safety perimeter is in place to prevent the public from accessing the scene.
In a press conference on Saturday, Fresno Fire Department Officer Josh Sellers said the plane crashed near the airport runway, per Fox 26. Authorities have not confirmed if the plane was departing or arriving.
Emergency crews respond to the scene of a plane crash in Fresno, Calif.
Credit: Fresno County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook
Fresno City Council member Mike Karbassi shared a statement about the incident on Facebook.
“This is a rare and tragic situation in northwest Fresno, my immediate concern is for the survivors of this heart-wrenching situation,” said Karbassi.
“At the appropriate time, my office will reach out and ensure they have what they need as they recover.”
“I want to thank the first responders and city manager Georgeanne White for responding to the scene and working to save lives,” he added. “I ask our community to pray for this family who are going through something unimaginable.”
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and the National Transportation Safety Board did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Sept. 7.
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