FAA warned of slackline before fatal Arizona helicopter crash
Federal aviation records show a NOTAM issued about a week before warned that a tightrope/slackline had been stretched across the mountainous area where a Columbia Basin Helicopters aircraft crashed, killing pilot David McCarty, 59, and his nieces Rachel McCarty, Faith McCarty and Katelyn Heideman; witnesses reported seeing the helicopter strike part of the slackline before falling into the canyon. NTSB investigators are combing the wreckage and expect a final report months away, while the FAA notes pilots are expected to review NOTAMs along their route and within 25 nautical miles; McCarty founded Columbia Basin Helicopters, which grew into a company with substantial federal contracts across nine Western states.
đ Key Facts
- Federal aviation records show a NOTAM was issued about a week before the crash warning that a tightrope/slackline would be stretched across the mountainous area where the helicopter later crashed; FAA guidance says pilots are expected to review NOTAMs along their entire route and within 25 nautical miles of their path.
- Witnesses reported seeing the helicopter strike part of the slackline before it fell to the bottom of the canyon; NTSB investigators are combing the wreckage and a final report is expected to take months.
- Authorities confirmed the four victims as pilot David McCarty, 59, and his nieces Rachel McCarty, Faith McCarty and Katelyn Heideman.
- David McCarty founded Columbia Basin Helicopters in the 1990s and built it into a company with millions of dollars in federal contracts for firefighting, agricultural spraying, seeding and other work across nine Western states, with offices in Oregon and Arizona.
- Experts said they are not aware of other helicopter crashes involving a slackline, though they noted that power lines and cables are known hazards to aircraft.
- The combination of the prior NOTAM, witness accounts of the helicopter striking the slackline, and the ongoing NTSB investigation are central to determining the crash's cause.
đ Relevant Data
Wire strikes have accounted for 5% of all civil helicopter accidents since 1963, with nearly a third of these accidents resulting in fatalities.
Flying a Helicopter in a Wire Environment â High Sierra Pilots
In a 2020 survey of pilots, 72% reported often having issues understanding NOTAMs, and 74% said they regularly miss important information due to the volume and format of notices.
Notam Survey - Final Report 2020 â Fixing NOTAMs
The slackline involved in the crash was a recreational highline more than 1 kilometer long, stretched across Telegraph Canyon for slacklining activities.
Temporary slackline kills 4 in Arizona helicopter crash â EuroGA.org
đ° Sources (2)
- Federal aviation records show a NOTAM had been issued about a week before the crash warning that a tightrope/slackline would be stretched across the mountainous area where the helicopter went down.
- Experts note they are unaware of other helicopter crashes involving a slackline, though power lines and cables are a known hazard.
- The article explains FAA expectations that pilots review NOTAMs along their entire route and within 25 nautical miles of their path.
- Authorities publicly confirmed the identities of the four victims: pilot David McCarty, 59, and his nieces Rachel McCarty, Faith McCarty and Katelyn Heideman.
- Background on McCarty and Columbia Basin Helicopters: he founded the company in the 1990s and built it into a firm with millions of dollars in federal contracts for firefighting, agricultural spraying, seeding and other work across nine Western states, with offices in Oregon and Arizona.
- Witnesses reported seeing the helicopter strike part of the slackline before falling to the bottom of the canyon, and NTSB investigators are combing the wreckage with a final report likely months away.