A private helicopter crashed in a mountainous area east of Phoenix on Friday, killing all four people on board, authorities confirmed. The accident occurred around 11 local time near Telegraph Canyon, south of Superior, Arizona.
The aircraft, a McDonnell Douglas MD 369FF helicopter with tail number N3502P, had departed from Pegasus Airpark in Queen Creek. According to the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, an eyewitness reported that the helicopter struck a recreational slackline stretched across part of the mountain range before plunging into a canyon.
The pilot was identified as a 59-year-old man from Queen Creek, while the passengers were three female family members in their early 20s. Their identities have not yet been publicly released.
Due to the remote and rugged terrain, emergency crews required several hours to reach the crash site. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a temporary flight restriction over the area to support search and recovery operations.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the crash.
#planecrash #aviation #disaster #breaking: McDonnell Douglas MD 369FF (MD530F) light helicopter crashed around 11 am today in remote mountains near Telegraph Canyon, Pinal County, Arizona with four aboard… FAA investigating. Details emerging. ???? Example of MD530: pic.twitter.com/qcbdHhBc5v
— USAS ?????? (@USAS_WW1) January 2, 2026