Helicopter crashes in the Grand Canyon

A helicopter on Saturday crashed in the Grand Canyon, authorities said. Hualapai Nation police Chief Francis Bradley told CBS Phoenix affiliate KPHO three people had been killed.

Bradley said six passengers and a pilot were on board the Papillion helicopter when it crashed around 5:20 p.m. The other four were injured, and were still being treated at the scene.

An after-hours phone call to aerial tour company Papillion was not immediately returned Saturday. The company’s website says it flies roughly 600,000 passengers a year on Grand Canyon and other tours.

Allen Kenitzer with the FAA Office of Communications said the cause of the crash is not known. Kenitzer said the aircraft, a Eurocopter EC130, sustained substantial damage. 

It’s unclear where the crash occurred. 

KPHO reported the FAA and the NTSB were on the scene.