FRESNO, CA — A small plane crash in northwest Fresno killed two children and one woman and left one man in critical condition Saturday afternoon, according to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and Fresno Fire Department.
The crash happened around 1:50 p.m. on Sept. 5 near Sierra Sky Park, close to W. Spruce Ave. and N. Blythe Ave. Flames broke out after impact, sending emergency crews from across the county to the scene to search for survivors and battle the fire.
Officials later confirmed that 41-year-old Danna Eady died at the hospital. Two other people were taken to Community Regional Medical Center with critical injuries.
Fire crews found two survivors and two people already inside the plane
Fresno Fire Department public information officer Josh Sellers said first responders initially located two people who were transported to the hospital in critical condition. Crews then found two more people inside the aircraft, and both were pronounced dead at the scene.
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office later said those two victims were children and confirmed they died because of injuries from the crash. That left a total of four people aboard the plane, with one man still fighting for his life after the wreck.
The aircraft also ignited a fire that drew multiple agencies to the area. Sellers said the response focused on both life-saving efforts and putting out the blaze created by the crash.
Neighbors heard a loud thump and saw smoke rising
People living nearby described a sudden, heavy impact followed by smoke. Neighbor Todd Armas said he heard “a big thump” and then stepped outside to see smoke and dark debris in the air.
Armas said the scene looked chaotic almost immediately after the crash. His description matched the fire crews’ account of a wreck that set off flames and drew a fast emergency response in the neighborhood.
Video captured by surrounding residents showed the aftermath near the crash site. The footage added to the picture of a tense scene as firefighters, deputies and medical teams worked among the smoke and wreckage.
Authorities have not said what caused the crash
Investigators have not released the cause of the crash. No public explanation has been given for why the plane went down near Sierra Sky Park, and officials have not identified any mechanical issue or weather factor.
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and Fresno Fire Department have only confirmed the number of victims, where the crash happened and the condition of the survivors. More details are expected as investigators continue examining the scene.
The sheriff’s office also said the plane crash remains under review. For now, the agencies involved are focused on identifying the victims, notifying families and sorting through what led to the deadly impact.
Council member Mike Karbassi called it a rare and heartbreaking tragedy
Fresno City Council member Mike Karbassi acknowledged the crash on social media and described it as a rare and tragic event in northwest Fresno. He said his immediate concern was for the people who survived and were recovering from their injuries.
Karbassi said his office would reach out at the appropriate time to make sure the survivors have what they need. His comments reflected the shock in the community after a violent crash in a neighborhood not usually associated with a fatal aviation disaster.
The crash site is near Sierra Sky Park, a residential aviation community, which made the incident especially visible to neighbors and local leaders.
A 2016 plane crash in the same area also killed two people
This was not the first deadly plane crash near Sierra Sky Park. In 2016, two people were killed when another small aircraft went down in the same area.
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said the earlier victims were 47-year-old William Huene and 32-year-old Chase Splan. Huene was the pilot, according to the agency.
The earlier crash adds a grim layer to Saturday’s deadly wreck, though investigators have not connected the two incidents. For now, authorities are still focused on Saturday’s deaths, the injured survivor and the unanswered questions about what caused the plane to crash.
Local news that matters, from Dulaney Griffin.
