Phoenix chopper crash kills N.M. pilot

PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) - Initial reports indicate that a helicopter that crashed northwest of Phoenix, killing the pilot, may have struck power lines.

The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office says 61-year-old Richard Snure of Rodeo, N.M., was using the helicopter as part of a cattle gathering operation when the crash occurred Thursday morning. Snure was the only one aboard the chopper.

The crash took place in a desert area about 5 miles north of Lake Pleasant, a large reservoir and recreation area northwest of Phoenix.

Federal authorities are investigating the cause of the crash.