A helicopter carrying four members of an Oregon family crashed into a slackline strung across an Arizona canyon on Saturday, killing everyone on board. The aircraft, an MD 369FF chopper piloted by David McCarty, was taking his nieces Rachel, Faith, and Katelyn Heideman out for a ride before he was set to marry this weekend.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing the helicopter strike the slackline in Telegraph Canyon, near Phoenix, at around 11am. The Pinal County Sheriff's Office confirmed the crash and said that responding deputies found the single-crashed private helicopter at the scene, which had taken off from a nearby airpark about 29 miles west of the canyon.
The incident has left the community stunned, with many of McCarty's family members expressing their grief on social media. A statement from his niece Katelyn Heideman's mother and Rachel and Faith McCarty's aunt described them as individuals who had "such bright futures ahead" and expressed difficulty in coming to terms with their loss.
According to officials, the slackline was more than one kilometer long and was strung across the mountain range. This raised questions about how a recreational activity like slacklining could be allowed near an area where aircraft were flying at high speeds.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are investigating the crash, with a temporary flight restriction placed over the affected area. The FAA had previously posted a notice to airmen and a tightrope obstruction warning for pilots, but it appears this did not prevent the accident.
The owner of Columbia Basin Helicopters, which operated the aircraft, has experience piloting helicopters dating back more than 40 years. However, the exact cause of the crash remains under investigation as officials seek to determine how such an incident could occur in a well-marketed area like Arizona's canyon country.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing the helicopter strike the slackline in Telegraph Canyon, near Phoenix, at around 11am. The Pinal County Sheriff's Office confirmed the crash and said that responding deputies found the single-crashed private helicopter at the scene, which had taken off from a nearby airpark about 29 miles west of the canyon.
The incident has left the community stunned, with many of McCarty's family members expressing their grief on social media. A statement from his niece Katelyn Heideman's mother and Rachel and Faith McCarty's aunt described them as individuals who had "such bright futures ahead" and expressed difficulty in coming to terms with their loss.
According to officials, the slackline was more than one kilometer long and was strung across the mountain range. This raised questions about how a recreational activity like slacklining could be allowed near an area where aircraft were flying at high speeds.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are investigating the crash, with a temporary flight restriction placed over the affected area. The FAA had previously posted a notice to airmen and a tightrope obstruction warning for pilots, but it appears this did not prevent the accident.
The owner of Columbia Basin Helicopters, which operated the aircraft, has experience piloting helicopters dating back more than 40 years. However, the exact cause of the crash remains under investigation as officials seek to determine how such an incident could occur in a well-marketed area like Arizona's canyon country.
. A family on their way to celebrate a wedding day got taken away from us too soon. My heart goes out to David and his nieces, who were on that helicopter with no warning. It's just so senseless 
. I mean, we all know the dangers of flying, but accidents like this can still catch you off guard. The fact that it was a slackline in a canyon area where aircraft are flying by is just shocking 
. It makes you wonder how these things even get approved to be done in the first place? 
. hope the investigation finds out what happened tho, it's just so sad... those little girls were supposed to be getting married this weekend 
I mean, can you believe this? A helicopter crashing into a slackline strung across a canyon? It just doesn't sit right with me... Like, what was the owner of that airpark thinking? Allowing recreational activities near high-speed flying zones? It's just crazy talk! 
And the fact that it was all recorded on someone's GoPro or whatever and then shared online... Just great. The world's a little too connected already, if you ask me. 
what's next, drones crashing into pool noodles? 
40 yrs of experience piloting heli and he still manages to mess it up 
can't even imagine bein on that slackline thinkin it was safe 
and then BAM! life changes forever 
tho who checks for slacklines 2o far away from flight paths 
the fact that ppl were out slacklin' with a chopper flyin by is just crazy 
guess wut happens when u try 2 mix adventure & aviation 
my heart goes out 2 da McCarty fam 
. I get that accidents can happen, but how did this even happen? The owner has experience flying, so you'd think he'd know better 
but at the end of the day, a life is lost and that's what matters most 
it was just a bad day 4 the family but now everyone who was on that helicopter is gone 
u feel bad 4 the fam but also hope that the ppl doing the investigation can get to the bottom of it 
anyway the ntsb & faa r doin ther thang but idk wut else can b done 2 prevent these kinda accidents 
️ It seems like common sense would say no way, right? 
. I mean, the pilot has 40+ years of experience flying helicopters... so that's gotta count for something, right? 
But still, it's hard to shake off the feeling that this is a total tragedy and we should all be more careful with our enthusiasm for adventure sports 
.
. I'm gonna have to share some of my DIY solutions on this one... like maybe some sorta warning system or something for planes to avoid these kinda hazards? 
... it's like the universe just didn't care that day. and what really gets me is how this could've happened even though there was a notice about the tightrope obstruction warning for pilots