FRESNO — Danna Eady, 41, died from injuries sustained in the crash. Craig Eady was hospitalized with third-degree burns. Authorities received the call about the crash around 1:50 p.m. The crash occurred on Blythe Avenue near the San Joaquin River.

Emergency responders found the plane wreckage on a bluff near the San Joaquin River with flames on a nearby hillside. Firefighters extinguished flames in surrounding dry brush.

Multiple agencies responded to the scene, including Fresno Police, Fresno Fire Department, Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, PG&E, and North Central Fire Department. A secured perimeter was established around the wreckage.

Tony Botti is a public information officer for the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. He provided details on the victims found at the scene.

"The focus was on any victims, any survivors. Two adults, a man and a woman were found outside of the plane with severe injuries," Botti said.

He added that responders located additional victims inside the aircraft. "We did discover two other victims in the wreckage. They were deceased. We identified them to be children," he said.

Two children died in the crash. Power was briefly knocked out for nearby residents during the crash but has since been restored. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the cause of the crash.

The Federal Aviation Administration is involved in the investigation. Sierra Sky Park Airport is privately owned.

Sierra Sky Park Airport has a runway that is just over 2,400 feet long. The facility is recognized as the first residential aviation community in the world, where residents can land, taxi down extra-wide neighborhood streets, and park their aircraft directly at their home.

Nick Wilcox is a flight instructor and friend of Danna Eady. Danna Eady served as a flight instructor and mentor to flight science students at Reedley College. Reedley College’s flight science department canceled classes for Tuesday following the Labor Day holiday.

Timeline

Craig Eady was hospitalized with third-degree burns, and the National Transportation Safety Board began leading the investigation into the cause of the crash.

What's New

Additional reporting confirmed that a small plane crashed near Sierra Sky Park Airport in northwest Fresno on September 5, 2026, at approximately 1:50 p.m. The crash occurred on the 7300 block of North Blythe Avenue, near the San Joaquin River, with four people aboard the plane. Two children were pronounced dead at the scene, and a woman later identified as Danna Eady died in the hospital from her injuries.

Reports indicated that multiple agencies responded to the crash, including the Fresno Fire Department, the Fresno Police Department, the Fresno County Sheriff's Office, and the North Central Fire Department. First responders found the plane on fire atop the bluff of the San Joaquin River, and firefighters extinguished the flames. He stated, "We did discover two other victims in the wreckage. They were deceased. We identified them to be children." He also said, "The focus was on any victims, any survivors. Two adults, a man and a woman were found outside of the plane with severe injuries."

Further details noted that Sierra Sky Park Airport has a runway that is just over 2,400 feet long and is privately owned.

Why It Matters

The crash involved a small aircraft near a residential aviation community, resulting in four fatalities. The incident required a multi-agency response to manage the fire and secure the scene near the San Joaquin River.

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the cause of the crash, with involvement from the Federal Aviation Administration. The event impacted local residents through brief power outages and resulted in the cancellation of flight science classes at Reedley College, where one of the victims served as an instructor.