Fresno County Sheriff's Office first responders work at the site of an airplane crash near the San Joaquin River in Fresno on Sept. 5, 2026. Photo courtesy of FCSO

Danna Eady, aviation entrepreneur and Reedley College instructor, among three killed in Fresno crash

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Danna Eady, 41, of Auberry was an entrepreneur and flight instructor active in the local aviation community, according to online profiles.

Eady was one of three people killed in an airplane crash near the San Joaquin River, authorities said Sunday. She died overnight after the crash Saturday afternoon northwest of the Sierra Sky Park, according to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.

 

Eady and a man were found outside the airplane, while two children were confirmed dead inside the wreckage, authorities said. Four people were believed to be aboard.

The man and Eady were taken to Community Regional Medical Center. The man, who has not been identified, was in critical condition as of Sunday afternoon. Authorities also have not identified the children, estimated between 8 and 10 years old.

An official from the National Transportation Safety Board traveled from Phoenix on Saturday to begin the investigation and was expected to remain at the site Sunday.

Tony Botti, a public information officer with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, said it could take up to a year before an official NTSB report is released. Until then, the cause remains unknown.

Authorities believe Eady was in the fixed-wing, single-engine plane as it departed the Sierra Sky Park and crashed into an embankment at the 7300 block of N. Blythe Ave. near the San Joaquin River, causing a brush fire that firefighters extinguished before it reached homes at the top of the bluff.

Active in the local aviation community

Tributes to Eady appeared on social media soon after her identity was released Sunday. Online profiles indicate the wife and mother of four was an entrepreneur and flight instructor active with the Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 376, based at the Sierra Sky Park.

Eady was the current president of EAA Chapter 376, according to a social media post. The EAA is a national organization with 900 local chapters and 300,000 members “sharing their passion for flying, building and restoring recreational aircraft.” The organization’s Young Eagles program introduces children 8 to 17 to aviation and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The EAA Chapter 376 hosted its 39th annual End O’ Summer Fly-in & Car Show at the Sierra Sky Park on Oct. 11, 2025, as a fundraiser for community programs that include taking Young Eagles on free introductory flights.

A pilot, instructor and business owner

In addition to being a pilot, Eady served as a flight instructor at Reedley College’s flight science department beginning in August 2025, according to her LinkedIn page.

She was qualified to teach in the only electric airplane approved by the Federal Aviation Administration as part of a first-of-its-kind program at Reedley College.

She was also the founder and owner of Meraki Aviation, a full-service aviation company providing aircraft rentals and instruction in Fresno since July 2025, according to LinkedIn.

In 2013, Eady founded Spun Paradise Cotton Candy Co., a cotton candy business based in Hawaii. Eady grew Spun Paradise “over 13 years into a successful, multi-product business with international reach.”

Early in her career, she co-founded an electrical contracting firm and held leadership roles in electrical operations and marketing, according to LinkedIn.

A record of service

Her community involvement included volunteer efforts supporting at-risk youth “through educational outreach, tutoring, and life skills development,” according to LinkedIn.

She was also a volunteer pilot for the Young Eagles program and Angel Flight, providing free non-emergency air transportation for people who need medical treatment away from home.

“Whether instructing, building businesses, or mentoring youth, I’m driven by a passion for education, service, and expanding access to aviation,” Eady’s LinkedIn profile concludes.

An online crowdfunding page has been set up to support the Eady family, reported GVWire. It has raised nearly $7,300 toward a $200,000 goal as of Sunday evening.

A deadly weekend in U.S. aviation

The Fresno crash came the same weekend as a deadly accident across the country. An Amazon cargo plane barreled off a runway at Miami International Airport on Sunday, killing at least five people as it struck vehicles and burst into flames, authorities said, according to The Associated Press. The Prime Air aircraft overran the runway around 2 p.m. after arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Miami-Dade County officials said three people were critically injured and two others hospitalized, but said it was too soon to determine whether those killed were aboard the plane or in the vehicles it struck. The flight was operated by 21 Air, a North Carolina cargo carrier. The NTSB is sending a team led by Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy.