What was meant to be a joyful wedding day ended in unspeakable tragedy when an Oregon groom and three of his nieces were killed in a helicopter crash just hours before he was set to say “I do” in Arizona.
David McCarty, 59, was flying family members over the scenic terrain of Telegraph Canyon near Superior on the morning of January 2nd when his private helicopter struck a slackline stretched across the canyon, sending the aircraft plunging to the canyon floor and killing everyone on board.
“He just wanted to show his family around,” a relative told FOX 10 Phoenix.
McCarty had been scheduled to marry his fiancée, Joelleen Linstrom, later that day. Instead of wedding vows, the family was left planning funerals.
According to authorities, the helicopter — an MD 369FF — departed from Pegasus Airpark in Queen Creek around 11 a.m. It struck the highline mid-flight, with one witness reporting that the rotor blades appeared to shear off before the aircraft dropped into the rugged canyon below, the Arizona Republic reported.
McCarty died alongside his nieces, Rachel McCarty, 23, Faith McCarty, 21, and Katelyn Heideman, 22. The four were from Oregon and had traveled to Arizona for what was supposed to be a celebratory family gathering, according to the East Oregonian.
Rachel and Faith were sisters. Katelyn was their cousin and also McCarty’s niece. Family members described the young women as close-knit, deeply rooted in their small Oregon communities, and full of promise.
“The families lost 50% of their children on the wedding day, which was supposed to be a celebration,” a relative said. “It’s extremely tough.”
Search-and-rescue crews were forced to hike into the remote area to reach the wreckage. Deputies arrived around 5 p.m., and all four victims were pronounced dead later that evening, according to the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office.
McCarty was described as an experienced pilot who knew the canyon well and had flown the area many times before without incident. He founded Columbia Basin Helicopters in the mid-to-late 1990s, building a business focused on power-line construction, logging, firefighting, and aircraft recovery. The company is based in La Grande, Oregon, with a satellite operation in Queen Creek, where McCarty also maintained a home.
Mary Jane Heideman, Katelyn’s mother, said the loss is nearly impossible to process. “They were all so loved. The girls had such bright futures. It’s just hard to fathom this,” she said.
Another niece, Elizabeth Gallup, wrote that the family is struggling to comprehend the sudden loss of four loved ones who “never got the chance to come home.”
Federal investigators are now examining how a slackline more than half a mile long came to be stretched across an active flight area. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating alongside local authorities. The International Slackline Association said the FAA had been notified of the highline and that a warning notice had been issued to pilots.
As the McCarty and Heideman families face a grief no family should ever endure, Christians are reminded of the fragile nature of life — and the deep hope found only in Christ. Scripture tells us that “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).
May God surround these grieving families with His peace, comfort them in their sorrow, and carry them through the days ahead with the assurance that death is not the end for those who trust in Him.
