Craig Eady died after a plane crash near Fresno killed his wife and two sons, leaving their two older children without surviving parents.
The Post reported that Eady, 44, died Monday after arriving at a hospital in critical condition following the Saturday crash.
His death raised the toll to four. His wife, Danna Eady, 41, and their sons Pavel, 10, and Remus, 13, also died.
The couple’s two older children, 18-year-old Felicity and 17-year-old Lucien, now face the loss of both parents and two brothers.
The fixed-wing, single-engine aircraft went down just before 2 p.m. near Sierra Sky Park airport and the San Joaquin River. Emergency crews found the wreckage on a bluff near the river.
Flames spread across a nearby hillside after the aircraft went down. Firefighters put out the fire before it reached surrounding residential properties, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said.
Crews also secured the wreckage site. The perimeter kept people away while giving investigators and emergency workers room to do their jobs.
That first response matters in any disaster, as readers have also seen in our coverage of fatal rescue operations. Saving lives and protecting nearby families must come before speculation.
Pavel and Remus were declared dead at the scene. Craig and Danna were taken to a hospital in critical condition, but neither survived.
Nick Wilcox, who owns Soar Paso flight school in Paso Robles and knew Danna, said the family was traveling to an airshow. He identified Danna as a fellow flight instructor.
The human cost reaches far beyond an official death count. Our separate coverage of families facing loss reflects the same basic duty: remember the people, not merely the number.
The cause of the Fresno plane crash remained unclear. The Federal Aviation Administration joined the investigation, while the National Transportation Safety Board took the lead in determining why the aircraft went down.
No aircraft model, registration or operator was identified. Authorities also had not disclosed what injuries Craig and Danna suffered or named the airshow the family planned to attend.
Those gaps should not be filled with guesses. Investigators must examine the wreckage, establish the sequence of events and give the public a factual account.
The same demand for clear facts applies in cases involving tragic deaths, even when the circumstances and questions differ. Families deserve care, while the public deserves candor.
For Felicity and Lucien, however, no technical finding can undo what happened. The investigation can explain the crash, but it cannot restore the four members of their family who died.
Responsible government starts with facts and accountability. In the face of terrible loss, it should also leave room for dignity, patience and respect.