A heart-wrenching helicopter accident in Arizona has claimed the lives of four family members, including a groom mere hours before his wedding. The tragic incident involved David McCarty, 59, who was piloting the private helicopter for a scenic flight with his three nieces, shortly before he was to marry Joelleen Linstrom.
David McCarty, along with his nieces Rachel McCarty, 22, Faith McCarty, 21, and Katelyn Heideman, 21, perished when the helicopter crashed at approximately 11 a.m. The crash site was located in the challenging terrain of Telegraph Canyon, situated about 64 miles east of Phoenix.
Initial investigations suggest the crash occurred after the helicopter collided with a recreational slackline that spanned the mountains.
Authorities explained that the slackline extended over half a mile across the canyon.
“An eyewitness who contacted 911 reported observing the helicopter hit part of the line before plummeting to the canyon floor,” stated the sheriff’s office.
‘An eyewitness who called 911 reported seeing the helicopter strike a portion of the line before falling to the bottom of the canyon,’ the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
McCarty was due to tie the knot with Linstrom but had taken his nieces for a ride ahead of the ceremony, family said.
Pilot and groom David McCarty, 59, was among four members killed in a horror helicopter crash on his wedding day. He died hours before he was to marry Joelleen Linstrom, pictured
Katelyn Heideman, 21, was killed in the crash alongside her uncle and two cousins when the helicopter went down in the rugged mountains east of Phoenix
The couple got engaged in September last year, according to their social media profiles.
A heartbroken Linstrom posted a photo of McCarty fishing in tribute following the deadly crash.
Keith Holloway, a spokesman for the NTSB, said in an email that the helicopter ‘impacted wires and terrain under unknown circumstances,’ adding that investigators are working to determine how the slackline came to be placed across the flight path and whether it was visible to pilots.
No highliners were present at the time of the collision. The International Slackline Association (ISA) said the highline had aviation markers attached to it and that the FAA had been informed with a NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) having been issued before the collision barring pilots from flying nearby.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident.
According to investigators, one of the helicopter’s rotor blades may have separated after striking the line, causing the aircraft to overturn before slamming falling to the bottom of the canyon.
Due to the extreme terrain and isolation of the crash site, deputies and search-and-rescue teams were unable to reach the wreckage for several hours.
The helicopter was identified by the Federal Aviation Administration as an MD 369FF.
It had taken off earlier that morning from an airport in Queen Creek, a Phoenix suburb where McCarty also owned a home.
Officials said crews did not arrive on foot until around 5pm with the deaths of those onboard confirmed later that evening.
Rachel McCarty, 22, was among the four people killed when the private helicopter she was riding in crashed in the remote Arizona mountains
Faith McCarty, 21, was also killed along with her cousins and uncle after the group took a helicopter ride just before McCarty was due to get married
The FAA issued a temporary flight restriction over the area while recovery and investigative operations were underway.
‘Our prayers are with the victims and their families,’ the sheriff’s office said.
McCarty was a longtime aviation professional and the owner of Columbia Basin Helicopters, a company he founded in 1997 and operated out of La Grande.
The business specializes in aerial operations, according to its website. Friends and family said he was an experienced pilot and deeply devoted to his loved ones.
‘They were all so loved,’ Mary Jane Heideman, the mother of Katelyn and aunt to Rachel and Faith said to The Arizona Republic.
‘The girls had such bright futures. It’s just hard to fathom this.’
Another of McCarty’s nieces, Elizabeth Gallup, posted a heartbreaking message online as news of the crash spread.
Katelyn Heideman, 21, was traveling with close family members when the helicopter went down in the rugged terrain of Telegraph Canyon
Rachel McCarty died alongside her sisters and cousin in the crash, officials said
Deputies and search-and-rescue teams were unable to reach the wreckage for several hours due to the challenging terrain
Emergency services with the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office posted photos of their presence at the scene of the crash but did not show photos of the wreckage
‘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,’ the post read.
‘They went out for a helicopter ride in Arizona. The helicopter crashed and they never got the chance to come home.’
‘My family and I want to thank you all for the positive thoughts, prayers, calls, and text messages,’ the message continued.
‘Please continue to pray over every single family member as we process this heartbreak. All the love and support is welcome. We truly have no words right now. They are all in heaven together.’
