Slackline Suspected as Cause of Deadly Helicopter Crash in Arizona Canyon

January 5, 2026

In a potentially unprecedented accident,a helicopter crashed this weekend after flying into a slackline in Arizona, resulting in the deaths of all four people on board.

On Jan. 2, emergency services received reports of a helicopter crash in Telegraph Canyon, a popular hiking and OHV area, according to a statement from the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office. First responders to the scene confirmed four deaths from the helicopter crash. No one was on the slackline at the moment of the accident.

“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 stated.

The fatalities include 59-year-old David McCarty, who was flying the helicopter, and his three nieces: Rachel McCarty, 23, Faith McCarty, 21, and Katelyn Heideman, 21, the Arizona Republic reported.

David McCarty owned Columbia Basin Helicopters, a professional helicopter company located in Oregon, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting. Gear Junkie