Helicopter with 4 onboard crashes in AZ

CAMP VERDE, Ariz. (AP) — Authorities on Sunday found the wreckage of a missing helicopter that crashed in central Arizona. Four people were believed to be onboard the helicopter when it took off from a metro Phoenix airport.

Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration, said the wreckage was spotted around 8:45 a.m. Sunday by a private pilot south of Camp Verde in Yavapai County.

Gregor said an Aerospatiale AS350 helicopter took off around 8 a.m. Saturday from the Scottsdale Airport and was headed for Sedona, but it was reported overdue when it failed to arrive at its destination. Search crews with the Civil Air Patrol started looking for the aircraft on Saturday.

The Yavapai County Sheriff's Department is on the scene and confirmed the wreckage is the missing helicopter, Gregor said.

No further information was available.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.

Camp Verde is about 86 miles north of Phoenix.