A crash at the Northern California Airport has claimed the life of one person and left another person injured. The victim has been identified as the outgoing mayor of a California city.
KTLA in Los Angeles reported on its website that the fatal crash happened shortly after takeoff at approximately 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 18th.
Lt. Andrew Scott, with the Placer County Sheriff’s Department, told reporters that investigators are looking into the crash that left one person dead and a second person with minor injuries. According to a story appearing on the NTD website, the victim has been identified as the outgoing mayor of Auburn, Dr. WIlliam “Bill” Kirby.
Dr. Kirby, 72, had been piloting his Cessna 206 at the time of the crash. An eyewitness said that the plane was sputtering and had to make a hard right to avoid hitting homes. When it crashed, the aircraft burst into flames.
According to a report released by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Detection, Kirby was pronounced dead at the scene. At the same time, an unidentified female passenger was taken to an area hospital with minor injuries.
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Kirby, the registered owner of the plane, had been a licensed pilot for more than 50 years. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), with the cooperation of local authorities will be investigating the cause of the fatal plane crash. The investigation is to take between 12 – 18 months.
Earlier this month, Kirby announced that he would be stepping down as mayor of Auburn and nominated Councilman Daniel Bernant to serve as mayor.
Our deepest condolences go out to Dr. Kirby’s family at this difficult time.
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