California IN BRIEF : HAPPY CAMP : 2 Killed in Fiery Crash of Small Plane

A man and a woman were killed in the fiery crash of a small plane in Happy Camp, 20 miles south of the Oregon border, Federal Aviation Administration officials said in Los Angeles. The small plane, identified by the FAA as a Citabria, is often used for aerobatic stunts. But there was no indication if the plane was engaged in aerobatics when it crashed shortly after takeoff. Authorities would not immediately release the identifications of the 55-year-old male pilot or the woman passenger, but both are believed to be from Auburn. The plane had taken off and seemed to be seeking to return to the Happy Camp Airport when it apparently encountered mechanical problems, said an FAA spokesman. A Siskiyou County sheriff’s spokesman said that the aircraft “plunged to the ground from an altitude of 600 feet and burst into flames.”