Auburn mayor killed, another man injured in airplane crash near Auburn airport

One person was killed and another injured after an airplane they were flying in crashed near the Auburn Municipal Airport Saturday morning, according the Cal Fire.

UPDATE: FAMILY CONFIRMS AUBURN MAYOR BILL KIRBY KILLED IN CRASH

Cal Fire confirmed that one person, the pilot had died as a result of the crash, which happened shortly after 11 a.m. The other passenger, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, suffered minor injuries and was transported to a hospital.

Placer County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Lt. Andrew Scott confirmed the crash but could not say what kind of plane involved. Photos provided by the Sheriff’s Office show flames in a field with scattered shrapnel near the airport.

This is the fourth plane crash near the Auburn airport in less than a year. In January, a father and son were killed in a crash. Last May, two nonfatal crashes occurred near the airport.

Scott said the department’s Critical Accident Investigation team has responded to the crash and will participate virtually with investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

On Saturday night, the family of Bill Kirby, an Auburn City Councilman who decided on Monday to give up his post as mayor over social media posts about President Donald Trump, confirmed he was killed in the crash.

This story was originally published April 18, 2020 at 12:25 PM.