A small plane that crashed near Sierra Sky Park, killing an Auberry family of four, aborted an earlier takeoff and returned because of a reported radio problem before taking off again and struggling to gain altitude, according to a preliminary National Transportation Safety Board report.

The Sept. 5 crash killed pilot Danna Eady, 41, her husband, Craig Eady, 44, and their two youngest sons, Pavel and Remus. Craig and Danna Eady initially survived the crash but died later.

According to the NTSB, surveillance video showed Eady and the three passengers boarding the Grumman American Aviation Corp. AA-5 at the airplane owner’s residence at Sierra Sky Park Airport before taxiing toward runway 30.

The plane began its takeoff roll but aborted the attempt about halfway down the runway, continued to the departure end, turned around, and taxied back, according to the report.

Eady then texted the airplane’s owner about a radio problem. About two minutes later, the plane returned to the owner’s residence, where the owner contacted a mechanic to troubleshoot the issue. A mechanic approached the aircraft after it was shut down, and shortly afterward, the plane taxied toward the runway again.

During the second takeoff, witnesses told investigators the plane lifted off about 1,000 feet from the departure end of runway 30 and “pitched up hard into a nose-high attitude.”

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Witnesses said the engine sounded weak but did not misfire or sputter. Surveillance video showed the aircraft continuing at about 30 feet above the ground while maintaining the nose-high attitude. Another camera captured the plane about 40 feet above the ground before it flew out of view, the report shares.

The crash site was in a washout at the top of sloping terrain about 1,000 feet northwest of the runway’s departure end.

Investigators identified the first point of impact as a large branch near the top of a roughly 40-foot tree. The aircraft came to rest upright and was largely consumed by a post-crash fire that burned about an acre, according to the NTSB. The wreckage was moved to a secure facility for further examination.

The aircraft, registration N6510L, was operated by Purpose Flight Inc. and was on a personal flight bound for Atwater. The NTSB lists the accident as occurring during the initial climb and identifies the defining event as a loss of control in flight.

The preliminary report does not determine what caused the crash. The NTSB investigation remains ongoing, and the agency says preliminary information is subject to change.

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