6 dead in French helicopter crash

Six people were killed when a military helicopter crashed in the Verdon Gorge, known as France's Grand Canyon, officials said. The Cougar AS532 AL was on a test flight for Eurocopter Wednesday when it hit a power line and fell nearly a half mile before crashing into a riverbank in a popular recreation area northeast of Cannes, the Connexion, Monaco, reported. The pilot, two engineers and three flight technicians died in the crash. The aircraft was on a final verification flight before being delivered to Albania, the French manufacturer said. "The entire Eurocopter Group is deeply saddened by this tragedy, and is currently devoting all of its efforts to identifying the circumstances and exact cause of this accident in collaboration with the authorities in charge of the investigation," the company said in a statement.