David McCarty, Rachel McCarty, Faith McCarty, and Katelyn Heideman Killed in Arizona Helicopter Crash Hours Before Wedding

A joyous wedding day turned into a devastating tragedy after David McCarty, an Oregon groom set to be married within hours, was killed in a helicopter crash alongside his three young nieces in the mountains of Arizona.

McCarty, 59, was piloting a private helicopter Friday morning when the aircraft went down around 11 a.m. in the rugged terrain of Telegraph Canyon, approximately 64 miles east of Phoenix, according to authorities. The crash claimed the lives of McCarty and his nieces — Rachel McCarty (22), Faith McCarty (21), and Katelyn Heideman (21).

Family members said McCarty had taken the three women on a scenic helicopter ride just moments before he was scheduled to marry his fiancée, Joelleen Linstrom. The flight was meant to be a joyful pre-wedding experience, but it ended in tragedy.

Preliminary reports indicate the helicopter struck a recreational slackline that had been stretched across the canyon. Investigators say the line extended more than half a mile across the mountainous area, posing a significant hazard to aircraft flying at low altitude.

According to the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, an eyewitness called 911 after seeing the helicopter collide with the slackline and plunge to the bottom of the canyon.

“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 said in a statement.

Due to the remote and steep location, rescue crews faced challenges reaching the crash site. When responders arrived, all four occupants were pronounced dead.

 

McCarty was described by loved ones as an experienced pilot who was familiar with the area. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the crash, with particular focus on the slackline and flight conditions at the time.

The sudden loss of David McCarty, Rachel McCarty, Faith McCarty, and Katelyn Heideman has left family, friends, and the wider community in mourning — especially as the tragedy unfolded on what was meant to be a day of celebration and new beginnings for McCarty and his bride-to-be, Joelleen Linstrom.