A California flight instructor, Danna Eady, 41, and her two sons, Pavel and Remus, died Saturday when their single-engine plane crashed on a hilltop near Sierra Sky Park Airport in Fresno. Eady's husband, Craig, who was also aboard the aircraft, survived the incident but sustained severe burns and extensive injuries.
Emergency crews responded to the crash around 1:50 p.m. near the north end of Blythe Avenue, close to the San Joaquin River. Upon arrival, they found the aircraft wreckage engulfed in flames on a bluff overlooking the river, with a fire spreading across a nearby hillside. Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze and prevent it from reaching nearby homes.
Eady and her husband were transported to a hospital in critical condition. The two sons were pronounced dead at the scene. Craig Eady is now facing a long recovery process involving numerous surgeries and rehabilitation, according to a family friend who started a fundraising page to assist with medical expenses and household needs.
Authorities have stated that the cause of the crash is currently under investigation. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are involved, with the NTSB leading the determination of what led to the aircraft going down.
Danna Eady was an active member of the Fresno-area aviation community. She worked as a flight instructor at Reedley College and served as the president of the local chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association. Nick Wilcox, owner of Soar Paso flight school, described Eady as a passionate pilot who had accumulated thousands of flight hours and earned numerous ratings in recent years. He noted her dedication to aviation, stating, "She died doing what she absolutely loved."
Eady is also survived by her two older children, Lucien, 17, and Felicity, 18. She is remembered by friends and colleagues for her adventurous spirit and outgoing personality.