NEED TO KNOW
- Four people died in a helicopter crash in a remote area of Arizona on Friday, Jan. 2
- According to the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, the victims include the pilot and three female family members
- “Our prayers are with the victims and their families,” said the sheriff’s office
Four people are dead after a helicopter crashed in a remote area of Arizona.
At around 11 a.m. local time on Friday, Jan. 2, emergency services responded to reports of a crashed helicopter in the mountains near Telegraph Canyon in Superior. Four people died at the scene, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) confirmed in a statement on X.
The private helicopter crashed after departing from Pegasus Airpark in Queen Creek. Emergency services weren’t able to reach the wreckage until the evening, as they had to go into the mountains on foot, per 12 News.
“This evening, PCSO Search and Rescue, Superior Fire, Queen Valley Fire and BORSTAR crews reached the wreckage on foot alongside FAA investigators and confirmed four fatalities as a result of the crash. Next of kin notifications have been made to the families,” said the PCSO.
The victims have been identified as the pilot, a 59-year-old man from Queen Creek, and three of his female family members, ages 21, 21 and 22. Their names have not yet been released to the public.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) are investigating the incident.
The NTSB has confirmed that the aircraft involved in the crash was an MD Helicopter 369FF, according to Fox 10. Authorities have said that preliminary evidence indicates that there was “a recreational slackline more than one kilometer long” strung across the mountain range.
According to the International Slackline Association, recreational slacklining refers to balancing and doing tricks on a piece of webbing rigged to fixed points such as trees.
Pinal County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook
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A witness who called 911 reported seeing the helicopter “strike a portion of the line before falling to the bottom of the canyon,” said the PCSO on X.
“Our prayers are with the victims and their families,” the authorities concluded.
PEOPLE has contacted the NTSB and FAA for comment.
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