A 44-year-old California father died in the hospital on Monday from critical injuries sustained in a plane crash that killed his wife and two sons on Saturday. Craig Eady had been hospitalized for three days following the incident.
The crash occurred shortly before 2 p.m. on Saturday, involving a four-seater single-engine aircraft that went down atop a bluff of the San Joaquin River, approximately 12 miles north of Fresno.
His wife, Danna Eady, 41, died from her injuries in the hospital on the night of the crash, according to Fresno County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer Tony Botti. Their two sons, Pavel, 10, and Remus, 13, were pronounced dead at the scene.
Danna Eady, a flight instructor at Reedley College, was piloting the recreational plane. The aircraft crashed shortly after taking off from the nearby Sierra Sky Park Airport.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the crash, with an investigator on site Sunday morning. Several electronic devices were recovered from the plane and are being sent to NTSB headquarters for analysis. The wreckage has been moved to a secure facility for further examination.
The exact cause of the crash is not yet clear, but a preliminary report from the NTSB is expected within 30 days. Botti noted that while airplane crashes are rare, the incident is unusual given the number of flights at Sierra Sky Park Airport.
Craig and Danna Eady are survived by their two older children, Felicity, 18, and Lucien, 17. Felicity posted on Facebook, expressing her grief and love for her lost family members.
An online fundraiser has been established to help with expenses, raising $65,000 towards a $250,000 goal. The Eady family was active in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Auberry.