PIGEON FORGE, Tenn., April 4 (UPI) -- Multiple people died Monday afternoon after a helicopter crashed in eastern Tennessee, authorities said.
The chopper was flying over Pigeon Forge when the pilot encountered trouble at around 3:30 p.m. Monday. The nature of the crash was not immediately clear, investigators told WBIR-TV.
Authorities notified the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration of the crash. Investigators at the National Transportation Safety Board, the United States' civil aviation authority, arrived Tuesday morning and were expected to provide an update at 3 p.m.
Witnesses told officials they saw the helicopter fly into some trees shortly before it crashed, setting off what they described as a loud explosion and intense fire.
Aerial helicopter tours are routinely operated out of the area near Pigeon Forge, but it wasn't officially reported whether the downed chopper was giving a tour.
WVLT-TV in Knoxville reported Monday afternoon that the chopper belonged to Smoky Mountain Helicopters and was carrying five people during an aerial scenic tour. All five, the report said, were killed in the crash.
