6 die in 2 plane crashes in northern Arizona

SEDONA, Ariz. (AP) — Two small planes went down in separate crashes in northern Arizona Sunday, leaving six people dead, authorities said.

The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office said four died when a plane crashed near Sedona.

The Federal Aviation Administration said hikers in the Bear Mountain area reported the crash and a possible fire around 3 p.m. PDT Sunday.

The sheriff’s office says fire crews found the single-engine plane about 6 p.m. in Fay Canyon.

The Arizona Republic reported that firefighters, including helicopters and ground crews, responded.

Later, authorities said a small plane crashed in northern Arizona’s Mohave County near the Utah border, killing two people.

Sgt. John T. Bottoms of the Arizona Department of Public Safety told Salt Lake City’s KSL-TV that the crash occurred about 6:30 PDT.

The FAA says that the plane went down “under unknown circumstances” and was on fire.

Bottoms said that crews hiked to reach the plane, which was on a ledge, and used water backpacks to extinguish the blaze.

There was no word Sunday on the identities of any of the dead or the causes of the crashes. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate both crashes.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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