Reedley College flight program cancels classes to honor instructor after fatal plane crash

REEDLEY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Flight operations at Reedley College's aviation program were canceled Tuesday as students and instructors honored certified flight instructor Danna Eady, who died with her family in a plane crash over the weekend.

The loss has deeply affected the college's small flight program, which has 24 students, many of whom received one-on-one instruction from Eady.

"We're still shocked by it. We still can't believe it happened," flight instructor Jaime Luque said.

Luque said the loss has been especially difficult for those who worked closely with Eady.

"It's hard to look at the airplanes right now and think about all the memories that we shared. It's hard to walk into the office with the cubicle, knowing that things are going to be different from now on," he said.

Colleagues and administrators remembered Eady as someone devoted to aviation and to helping students pursue their goals. According to Reedley College President Dr. Buckley, Eady was also working toward her own dream of becoming a commercial pilot.

"I understand that she would get up at 4 o'clock in the morning and start her day here at the Reedley airport; around five or six, she would fly with students and then fly on her own," Buckley said.

Buckley said Eady often spoke about the passion she believed people developed once they experienced flying for themselves.

"She spoke to us about the 'flight gene.' She felt that people, once they got into an airplane and actually flew for the first time on their own. They really realize that they love a flight," he said.

The day before her death, Eady attended a pinning ceremony for her students. She was a trailblazer, the only female instructor in the program at the time.

"Dana really impressed me in the way she addressed her female students. I think about Dana that she believed she had five female students, so she was a mentor in addition to being an instructor," Buckley said.

For Luque, the tragedy is not the first time he has lost a friend in aviation.

"It never gets easy. It's always a shock to the system. You can't even fathom with it," he said.

Reedley College is one of 23 community colleges in California that offer a flight program. College leaders describe the program as an accessible and affordable pathway for students pursuing careers as pilots.

While acknowledging the impact of the crash, Buckley encouraged students to continue pursuing their aviation goals.

"Although this was a tragedy, just a catastrophe for the family, the frequency of that type of crash is very, very small. I would recommend students consider their future carefully, and if they truly have a goal of flying in mind for their career, they stay with that goal," Buckley said.

For news and weather updates, follow Brisa Colón on Facebook, X and Instagram.