PCSO identifies 3 children, 3 adults in plane crash east of Phoenix

APACHE JUNCTION, AZ - Pinal County officials have identified the three children and three adults on board when a twin engine plane crashed in the Superstition Mountains.

The plane went down around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday just east of Phoenix.

PCSO identified the co-pilot and father of the three children as 39-year-old Shawn Perry of Safford.

His children on board the plane were identified as 9-year-old Morgan Perry, 8-year-old Logan Perry, and 6-year-old Luke Perry of Gold Canyon, Ariz.

Their goal was to celebrate Thanksgiving in Safford, according to PCSO spokesman Elias Johnson.

Shawn Perry's co-pilot and partial owner of the plane was identified as Russell Hardy, 31, from Thatcher, Ariz.

The sixth victim on the plane was identified as Joseph Hardwick, 22, of Safford, a pilot mechanic.

The children's mother was not on the plane but was notified of the accident last night by the sheriff.

Johnson confirmed the body of one of the children was recovered at the crash site just before 10 p.m.

Further inspection turned up bodies of the remaining victims, Johnson said.

The victim's families have been notified.

During a Wednesday night news conference, Sheriff Paul Babeu said 10 deputies were flown to the top of Flat Iron Mountain to search the area, but had difficulty locating the passengers.

As of 10 p.m., the plane fuselage was still burning in the rugged terrain atop the mountain range, making it hard for crews to access the crash site.

Ten deputies camped out on the mountain because dark and rugged conditions made a descent too risky.

Babeu said deputies and other agencies called in to assist will continue searching the area through the night.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer told ABC15 the twin engine Rockwell AC69 plane "crashed under unknown circumstances."

Kenitzer said the plane, registered to Ponderosa Aviation Inc. out of Safford, Ariz., had just departed from Falcon Field in Mesa before crashing. It appears the aircraft initially left from Safford and stopped at the East Valley airfield around 4:30 p.m. to refuel and pick up the children.

Despite difficulties accessing the crash site, a helicopter was able to drop a Department of Public Safety officer near the top of the mountain for an initial assessment of the situation Wednesday night.

Air15 video over the mountain range showed many separate areas of flames spread around the crash site, apparently spreading in the thick brush.

Emergency crews from across the Valley responded to the mountain to assist in accessing the victims.

An ABC15 viewer captured video showing the initial impact, followed immediately by a large burst of flames. You can watch the video embedded below. Go to the :52 mark to see the initial crash.