Officials in Pinal County, Arizona, have confirmed that David McCarty, 59, of Baker County, died Friday, Jan. 2, along with three nieces, Rachel McCarty, 23, Faith McCarty, 21, and Katelyn Heideman, 21, when the helicopter he was piloting hit a suspended slackline and crashed near Superior, Arizona, east of Phoenix. McCarty, who owns Columbia Basin Helicopters, based in La Grande, also owns a home in Queen Creek, Arizona, a Phoenix suburb.
McCarty founded the business in 1997, according to its website. His company did a variety of work with helicopters, including logging, firefighting and agricultural spraying. Trending Update: 4 Eastern Oregonians die in Helicopter crash in Arizona The Other Guys Rent A Car opens at new site Keith Holloway, a spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board, wrote in an email to the Baker City Herald on Saturday morning, Jan. 3, that an NTSB investigator was expected to arrive at the crash site later in the day. “The aircraft will be transported to a secure facility for further evaluation,” Holloway wrote. Holloway wrote in an email to the Herald on Jan. 5 that the NTSB “investigator has been on scene and has wrapped up the on scene portion of the investigation.” The helicopter is an MD 369FF. Based on preliminary information, the helicopter, around 10 a.m. PST on Jan. 2, “impacted wires and terrain under unknown circumstances,” Holloway wrote. According to the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, “Preliminary evidence indicates a recreational slackline more than one kilometer long had been strung across the mountain range. An eyewitness who called 911 reported seeing the helicopter strike a portion of the line before falling to the bottom of the canyon.” Trending Update: Freeway between Pendleton and La Grande open again Attorneys spar in motion to dismiss B2H power line lawsuit A slackline is a suspended line that people can walk across, something like a tightrope in a circus. Witnesses to the accident or anyone with surveillance video or other information that may assist the investigation are asked to contact the NTSB at [email protected]. “A preliminary report is expected within 30 days of the accident and will include factual information gathered during the initial phase of the investigation,” Holloway wrote. “The final report, expected within 12 to 24 months, will detail the probable cause of the crash along with any contributing factors,” he wrote. According to Federal Aviation Administration records, a notice to pilots was filed about a “tight rope” about 600 feet above ground level about 3 nautical miles (3.4 miles) south of the airport near Superior.
The notice is in effect from Dec. 26, 2025, through Jan. 6, 2026, according to an FAA website. The crash happened about 2.8 miles south of the Superior airport, Holloway said. The notice was listed for the Superior airport but not for the Pegasus Airpark where McCarty started his flight. The Pegasus Airpark is in Queen Creek, Arizona, west of Superior. The International Slackline Association posted a statement about the crash on its Facebook page on Jan. 3. The statement: “The International Slackline Association (ISA) 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 highline had aviation markers attached to it. The FAA had been informed of the highline and a NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) had been issued before the collision.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident. Four passengers aboard the helicopter have been confirmed deceased. No highliners were on the line at the moment of the incident. We extend our deepest sympathy and condolences to all of those affected by this tragic event. Further information will be shared as it becomes available through official sources.” will include factual information gathered during the initial phase of the investigation, Holloway wrote. “The final report, expected within 12 to 24 months, will detail the probable cause of the crash along with any contributing factors,” he wrote.
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