Full Breakdown
Fatal Crash Near Sierra Sky Park Airport Claims Flight Instructor and Two Children
9/7/2026, 11:30:46 PM
Core Event
On a Saturday afternoon, a fixed-wing, single-engine aircraft piloted by 41-year-old certified flight instructor Danna Eady crashed on a hilltop near the San Joaquin River at Sierra Sky Park Airport in northwest Fresno. The crash occurred just before 2 p.m., prompting emergency crews to respond to a blaze on the bluff. Craig Eady, her husband, and Danna survived the impact but suffered severe burns and extensive injuries; the two youngest children, Pavel (10) and Remus (13), were declared dead at the scene. Their older children, Lucien (17) and Felicity (18), were not on board. The National Transportation Safety Board has opened an investigation, and the cause of the accident remains undetermined.
Aviation Community Background
Danna Eady was a flight instructor at Reedley College and served as president of the local Experimental Aircraft Association chapter. Colleagues described her as a “veteran flight instructor” who mentored numerous pilots. The privately owned Sierra Sky Park Airport has a runway just over 2,400 feet long, one of the shortest in the San Joaquin Valley, and is not required to meet Federal Aviation Administration runway-overrun standards, making it a challenging field for pilots facing aircraft problems.
Official Statements & Responses
Sheriff’s office spokesperson Tony Botti said responders first focused on locating victims and survivors, noting that two adults were found outside the wreckage with severe injuries. He later confirmed the identification of the two deceased children. The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office reported the crash call arrived around 1:50 p.m. and that firefighters, deputies, and police arrived to find the plane on fire atop the bluff.
Data & Statistics
- Aircraft: fixed-wing, single-engine (type not specified)
- Injuries: Craig Eady – third-degree burns; Danna Eady – fatal injuries
- Fatalities: two children, ages 10 and 13
- Survivors: Craig Eady (critical condition)
Verbatim Quotes
- “She was a very large presence in the Fresno flying community,” — Nick Wilcox, a longtime friend and flight instructor
- “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. She loved flying. She died doing what she loved. She's probably on another adventure because that's the kind of person she was,” — Nick Wilcox, a longtime friend and flight instructor
- “The focus was on any victims...any survivors. Two adults, a man and a woman were found outside of the plane with severe injuries,” — Tony Botti, sheriff's office spokesperson
- “She was a veteran flight instructor that has had numerous pilots underneath her go on to become pilots,” — Nick Wilcox, a longtime friend and flight instructor
- “It's incredibly hard for the community of Fresno, the aviation community all over California where she has flown and the world. She has touched many lives,” — Nick Wilcox, a longtime friend and flight instructor
