Overview
- A single-engine, four-seat plane crashed near Sierra Sky Park just before 2 p.m. on Saturday, coming to rest on a bluff above the San Joaquin River with fire that responders extinguished.
- The four people who died were identified as certified flight instructor Danna Eady, 41, her husband Craig Eady, 44, and two of their younger sons; two older children were not aboard.
- Investigators say the NTSB is the lead agency, the FAA is participating, wreckage and electronic devices have been moved to a secure facility for analysis, and a preliminary NTSB update could arrive within weeks while a final report may take up to a year.
- Authorities have not confirmed who was piloting at the time of the crash and say causes and the sequence of events remain unresolved pending forensic work and interviews.
- The crash has rippled through the local aviation community and Reedley College, which canceled flight classes and offered counseling while friends and family launched an online fundraiser to cover medical and funeral costs.