Only the pilot was onboard a helicopter that crashed near Meeker, about 40 miles northwest of Glenwood Springs, late Wednesday night, the Federal Aviation Administration said on its website Thursday.

The helicopter reportedly crashed at about 11:10 p.m. Wednesday night, the FAA said.

The helicopter, which was found in mountainous terrain early Thursday morning after extensive search efforts proved unsuccessful the previous night, had departed Meeker Airport Wednesday morning and had not returned as expected, according to social media posts from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office.

Meeker is about 40 miles north west of Glenwood Springs. 

The helicopter was first reported missing at about 8:12 p.m. Wednesday evening, according to the office. Police then initiated a cellphone trace and conducted aerial search efforts using the data, but had to suspend the search for safety reasons as night fell.

The office then resumed the search at 6 a.m. Thursday morning in coordination with multiple aviation and rescue organizations, as well as family members who were hiking in areas believed to be along the helicopter’s path, according to its post.

After the hikers reported something “worth looking at,” one aviation organization flew over the area and, at about 6:50 a.m., located a crashed helicopter, according to the post. 

The incident is currently under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, the FAA said.