The helicopter crashed after it appeared to run into a recreational slackline. All four people who died were related.
Pinal County Sheriff’s Office via X
A week before a helicopter crash in an Arizona canyon killed four Oregonians, federal aviation authorities warned pilots that there would be a tightrope in the area, 600 feet in the air.
The tightrope, hanging three miles south of Superior Municipal Airport, was listed as flagged and lighted, a spokesperson with the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed to OPB. Shortly after the crash on Friday morning, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office mentioned the tightrope when it said the helicopter may have been brought down by a “recreational slackline more than one kilometer long” that “had been strung across the mountain range.”
The FAA warning noted that the rope would be there between Dec. 26, 2025, and Jan. 6, 2026. The helicopter crashed on Jan. 2 around 11 a.m. The crash killed four members of one Eastern Oregon family, including 59-year-old pilot David McCarty and his three nieces, Rachel McCarty, 23, Faith McCarty, 21, and Katelyn Heideman, 21.
“The International Slackline Association is heartbroken to learn of a tragic incident that occurred in the United States on January 2nd, 2026, in which a helicopter collided with a 1km long highline,” The ISA said in a Jan. 5 release. “The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident. We extend our deepest sympathies to all of those affected by this tragic event.”
Screenshot via the Federal NOTAM System website / OPB
David McCarty owned Columbia Basin Helicopters based out of La Grande.
Elizabeth Gallup, Rachel and Faith McCarty’s sister, confirmed their deaths in a Friday night Facebook post.
“Please continue to pray over every single family member as we process this heartbreak,” Gallup wrote. “All the love and support is welcome. We truly have no words right now.”
The McCarty sisters were standout athletes at Echo High School, with Faith, Rachel and their two older sisters competing in basketball, volleyball, softball and track, according to the East Oregonian. Their cousin, Heideman, played basketball in nearby Hermiston and earned a scholarship to the University of Providence in Montana.
In 2021, Faith told the newspaper that she came from a competitive family, her father and mother having both been track and field athletes in college. Faith also played at Yakima Valley College.
Provided photos
“She was really well-liked by everyone in the athletics program,” said Yakima Valley College spokesperson Dustin Wunderlich. “They’ll be holding a moment of silence for Faith and her family before the women’s basketball game here on Wednesday.”
The Echo School District sent condolences to the McCarty family in a Facebook post over the weekend.
“During this difficult time, we ask our school community to keep the McCarty family in your thoughts and prayers,” the school district wrote. “May they feel surrounded by care, compassion, and support as they navigate the days ahead.”
Philip Hofbauer of Ukiah, Oregon, had been friends with David McCarty since he was in the 5th grade. He told OPB on Sunday that David was widely respected throughout the area, and Hofbauer remembered working on the McCarty ranch in high school.
“I honestly couldn’t describe a better family,” Hofbauer said. “They’ve been a huge inspiration to me my whole life.”
An official with the National Transportation Safety Board said the agency will investigate the pilot, the aircraft and the operating environment. Although the agency will release its first report on the crash within 30 days, a final report could take as long as two years to compile.
An FAA spokesperson said it wasn’t clear who set up the tightrope. The canyon where the crash occurred is overseen by the U.S. National Forest Service, whose representatives in the area did not respond to interview requests.
An eyewitness reportedly saw the helicopter collide with a half-mile-long “recreational slackline” before falling into a canyon, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office issued Friday night.
Wedding Day Tragedy: Helicopter Crash Claims Groom and Three Nieces in Arizona Canyon
A day of anticipated joy transformed into profound sorrow on January 2, 2026, when a private helicopter crashed in the rugged Telegraph Canyon near Superior, Arizona, killing all four occupants just hours before a planned wedding. The victims were identified as pilot David McCarty, 59, a businessman from Oregon with a home in Queen Creek, Arizona, and his three nieces: Rachel McCarty, 23; Faith McCarty, 21; and Katelyn Heideman, 21-22. The group, all from Eastern Oregon communities, had gathered for the family celebration.
The MD 369FF helicopter, owned by McCarty, departed from Pegasus Airpark in Queen Creek shortly before the incident around 11 a.m. local time. The flight was a brief sightseeing excursion to showcase the scenic canyon views to the visiting nieces ahead of McCarty’s wedding to fiancĂ©e Joelleen Linstrom. Eyewitness accounts and preliminary investigations indicate the aircraft struck a recreational slackline—a long, taut webbing used for highlining—stretched more than one kilometer (approximately 0.6 miles) across the canyon. One witness reported seeing the rotor blades shear off upon impact, causing the helicopter to plummet to the canyon floor.
Search and rescue teams from the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) faced arduous terrain, hiking to the remote site and confirming the four fatalities that evening. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are leading the probe, with wreckage transported to a secure facility for detailed examination. A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) had been issued a week prior warning of the highline obstruction, valid from December 26, 2025, to January 6, 2026. The International Slackline Association (ISA) confirmed aviation markers were attached to the line and no highliners were present, expressing heartbreak over the collision.
McCarty, founder of Columbia Basin Helicopters in La Grande, Oregon—a company established in the late 1990s specializing in power-line construction, logging, firefighting, and recovery operations—was described as an experienced pilot familiar with the area, having flown the canyon multiple times. Family emphasized his devotion to loved ones and the flight’s intent as a joyful prelude to the wedding.
The young women were remembered as vibrant and close-knit. Rachel and Faith McCarty were sisters, standout athletes in high school basketball, volleyball, softball, and track in Echo, Oregon. Katelyn Heideman, their cousin, was noted for her strong faith, photography pursuits, and bright future. Mary Jane Heideman, Katelyn’s mother and aunt to Rachel and Faith, shared with media: “They were all so loved. The girls had such bright futures. It’s just hard to fathom this.”
Surviving niece Elizabeth Gallup posted on social media: “Many have heard about the unimaginable losses in my family today of my Uncle David McCarty, my cousin Katelyn Heideman, and my two baby sisters Rachel and Faith. They went out for a helicopter ride in Arizona. The helicopter crashed and they never got the chance to come home.” She thanked supporters and requested prayers, noting the family was overwhelmed.
The extended family, assembled in Arizona for the wedding weekend, now mourns the sudden loss. Relatives described the irony of a celebratory occasion turning devastating, with one noting the families lost half their children on what should have been a day of unity.
This incident raises awareness about hazards in popular outdoor areas like Apache Leap near Superior, frequented by climbers and slackliners. While permitted highlines require FAA notifications, visibility challenges persist for low-flying aircraft. Aviation experts have called it a rare event, potentially the first documented helicopter-slackline collision.
As investigations continue—focusing on NOTAM dissemination, line markings, and flight planning—the communities in Oregon and Arizona grapple with grief. Tributes highlight the victims’ warmth and potential, leaving behind a shattered family and a poignant reminder of unforeseen risks in scenic pursuits.
The object struck mid-air—a recreational slackline—has become central to understanding the crash, with authorities examining compliance and pilot awareness amid the issued warnings.
