Executive Summary
- Fatal Incident: Four Oregonians died when their helicopter struck a slackline suspended 600 feet above a canyon near Superior, Arizona.
- Safety Criticism: Aviation experts criticized the FAA’s Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) system as cluttered and ineffective for warning pilots of such hazards.
- Unregulated Hazards: The crash highlights the growing risks associated with extreme sports equipment, such as long-distance highlines, in public airspace.
- Ongoing Investigation: The NTSB is investigating the crash, with a preliminary report expected within 30 days and a final determination likely taking over a year.
A helicopter crash in a remote Arizona canyon claimed the lives of four Oregon family members on January 2 after the aircraft reportedly collided with a recreational slackline suspended 600 feet in the air, according to statements from the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office and aviation safety advocates. The incident occurred near Superior, Arizona, and has ignited a debate regarding the oversight of extreme sports equipment in public airspace and the efficacy of federal aviation warning systems.
The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the crash resulted in the deaths of all four individuals on board. The victims were identified as 59-year-old pilot David McCarty and his three nieces: Rachel McCarty, 23; Faith McCarty, 21; and Katelyn Heideman, 21. According to eyewitness reports and local law enforcement, the helicopter appeared to strike a slackline—a flat webbing used for balancing—that spanned more than half a mile across the canyon. The International Slacklining Association stated that no one was on the line at the time of the collision and asserted that the rigging was equipped with aviation markers.
The tragedy has drawn sharp criticism from the aviation community regarding the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) system, which is designed to alert pilots to potential hazards. DJ Vegh, a manager at Pegasus Airpark where the flight originated, described the NOTAM system as “broken” in a statement to the slacklining community. Vegh argued that critical safety warnings are often buried within “hundreds of nearly meaningless” notices, making it difficult for pilots to identify immediate threats. “I feel like had there been an open channel between slackliners and local pilots there may have been a chance four people would still be alive,” Vegh wrote on a social media forum.
Corbin Kunst, a pilot and experienced highliner based in Bend, Oregon, corroborated these concerns. Speaking on the growth of the sport, Kunst noted that multi-kilometer highlines are becoming more common globally. He told reporters that while the highlining community is generally safety-oriented and uses flags and lights, the current NOTAM system is cluttered with data, rendering it ineffective for many pilots. “There are so many garbage NOTAMs… there’s no way you can look at all of them,” Kunst stated, emphasizing the need for better real-time communication between sport enthusiasts and aviators.
Regulatory Oversight and Aviation Safety
This incident highlights a critical gap in the regulation of extreme sports on public lands and their impact on low-altitude aviation safety. While the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has commenced an investigation to determine the official probable cause—a process expected to take a year or more—the event has raised urgent questions about the visibility and reporting of temporary aerial obstructions. The scrutiny of the NOTAM system suggests that future regulatory discussions may focus on streamlining hazard reporting to ensure pilots can effectively identify life-threatening obstacles in uncontrolled airspace.
