Helicopter crashes in Arizona mountains; rescuers work to access remote location, officials say
A private helicopter crashed Friday in a mountain range near Phoenix, killing all four people on board, authorities said.
The MD 369FF helicopter went down around 11 a.m. local time, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. An eyewitness told the Pinal County Sheriff's Office that the aircraft struck a recreational slackline stretched across the mountains before falling into a canyon. Slacklining is an activity similar to tightrope walking, involving balancing on a flat strip of webbing between two anchor points.
Officials have not released the identities of the victims. The pilot was a 59-year-old man from Queen Creek, and the passengers were three female family members in their early 20s, the sheriff’s office said. The helicopter had taken off from Pegasus Airpark in Queen Creek, west of Superior, Arizona, about 70 miles east of Phoenix.
Rescue crews worked for several hours to reach the remote site near Telegraph Canyon, south of Superior. The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA have launched an investigation into the crash. A temporary flight restriction was issued over the area to ensure safety during search and rescue operations.
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