The family of four people killed in a helicopter crash near Superior earlier this year is speaking publicly for the first time — and pushing for federal action to prevent similar tragedies.
On January 2, a private helicopter taking off from Pegasus Airpark in Queen Creek went down in the mountains near Telegraph Canyon. The crash killed 59‑year‑old pilot and Queen Creek resident David McCarty and his three nieces: Katelyn Heideman, and sisters Rachel and Faith McCarty.
“It’s just automatic shock and I think straight denial,” said Ellie Heideman, Katelyn’s sister. “You really don’t know what to think because it doesn’t feel real.”
The family says the loss was made even more devastating by the circumstances. The crash happened on the morning of David McCarty’s wedding. The girls were spending time with their uncle before the ceremony.
“He was going to take them and show them around and take them to a place that he’s always found very beautiful,” said Elizabeth McCarty Gallup, sister of Rachel and Faith.
What the family learned next stunned them.
According to the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, preliminary evidence indicates a recreational slackline — more than a kilometer long — had been strung across the canyon. A 911 caller reported seeing the helicopter hit the line before crashing.
A National Transportation Safety Board report also documented remnants of the line at the crash site.
“We do know that the current regulations are outdated, and they need to be fixed, and that will save lives,” Gallup said.
The sisters are now pushing for changes to how slacklines are reported and marked. Aviation experts say the FAA issues safety alerts known as NOTAMs — Notices to Airmen — when hazards are present. A NOTAM had been issued on December 21, warning pilots of a tightrope roughly 600 feet above ground level in the canyon.
But NOTAMs can be easy to miss because of how many are issued daily.
“Something as dangerous as a high line or slackline that basically creates a spider web in the canyon needs to have additional marking and charting,” Gallup said.
The family has taken their concerns all the way to Washington, D.C., meeting with lawmakers and urging reforms. They say several members of Congress — including Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly — have expressed support.
For Heideman and Gallup, the effort is a way to honor the loved ones they lost.
“It brings us some healing knowing that we can do something about this situation,” Heideman said.
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