Helicopter crashes in Arizona mountains, killing four people aboard

ARIZONA, 3rd January, 2026 (WAM) — A private helicopter crashed Friday in a mountainous area of Arizona, killing all four people aboard, officials said.

The crash took place around 11 am near Telegraph Canyon, about 64 miles (103 kilometres) east of Phoenix, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office said in a post on the social platform X. It may have been caused when the helicopter hit a “recreational slackline” that was more than half a mile (more than a kilometre) long and strung across the mountains, the office said.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.

Flights were temporarily restricted over the area due to safety reasons, according to the sheriff’s office.