A tragic incident unfolded on New Year’s Day when David McCarty, a 59-year-old businessman from Oregon, crashed his tourist helicopter hours before his wedding. He was flying with three of his nieces when the helicopter hit a slackline in the remote Telegraph Canyon near Superior, Arizona.
Authorities reported that McCarty was attempting to give his family a scenic tour around 11 a.m. when the crash occurred. “He just wanted to show his family around,” a relative said, recounting his intentions.
The immediate outcome was devastating; the impact caused the helicopter to plummet into the ravine, leading to the deaths of everyone on board.
McCarty, who owned Columbia Basin Helicopters, was accompanied by his nieces: Rachel, 23, Faith, 21, and Caitlin Heidemann, 22. They had traveled from Oregon for a family celebration that weekend.
Compounding the tragedy, the accident happened just hours before McCarty was set to marry his fiancée, Joelleen Lindstrom. The helicopter, which took off from Pegasus Airpark in Queen Creek, struck the slackline just south of Superior, according to reports.
Witnesses described seeing the rotor blades destroyed before the aircraft descended into the unforgiving terrain below.
Due to the area’s remoteness, search and rescue teams had to approach on foot. Officers from the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the wreckage around 5 p.m., and sadly, all four victims were pronounced dead that evening.
Family members stated that McCarty was a seasoned pilot and had flown in that canyon multiple times without issues. He established Columbia Basin Helicopters in the late 1990s, focusing on jobs like power line work, logging, firefighting, and aircraft recovery.
Based in LaGrande, Oregon, he also operated a satellite business in Queen Creek, Arizona, and was well-acquainted with the local terrain. Rachel and Faith were siblings, with Caitlin being their cousin and part of McCarty’s family. Relatives emphasized their strong bonds, adding that they were well-regarded in their Oregon communities.
“The family lost 50% of their child on what was supposed to be a celebratory wedding day,” the family remarked, highlighting the immense grief of the situation.
Mary Jane Heideman, Caitlin’s mother, expressed how overwhelming the loss felt. She stated, “They were all so loved. They had such bright futures. This is really hard to understand.”
Another niece, Elizabeth Gallup, shared a message online about how hard it was to grasp the sudden absence of four family members who “never had the chance to go home.”
Meanwhile, federal authorities are working to understand how a slackline that spanned over half a mile ended up in the flight path. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are collaborating with local law enforcement on the investigation. NTSB investigators arrived at the crash site the following day, and plans were in place to move the wreckage to a secure location for further analysis.
Preliminary information indicated that air markers had been installed along the route. The International Slackline Association confirmed an official notification had been issued to alert pilots about this rope obstruction, which hangs approximately 600 feet above ground.
