NTSB: Helicopter Struck Suspended Slackline, Killing Baker County Pilot, Three Nieces

A helicopter piloted by Baker County resident David McCarty struck a suspended slackline near Superior, Arizona, and crashed, killing McCarty and his three nieces, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a preliminary report. The incident raises immediate questions about coordination between low-flying aircraft and recreational activities on bluffs frequented by slackliners.

David McCarty, 59, who owned Columbia Basin Helicopters based in La Grande and maintained a home in Queen Creek, died along with Rachel McCarty, 23, Faith McCarty, 21, and Katelyn Heideman, 21, all from Umatilla County. The NTSB report attributes the crash to contact with a system of slacklines and related signalization strung between anchors on bluffs above the crash site.

The preliminary report explained slacklining: "Slacklining is a sport where a participant balances on a 1 to 3 inch wide piece of webbing made from synthetic fiber that is suspended between two fixed points. A subset of the sport, called highlining, entails rigging the slackline at higher altitudes above terrain, and often involves longer slacklines. Typically, a highline/slackline consists of a mainline that the participant balances on, and a backup line that the participant connects their safety harness to. The mainline is tensioned between two anchors, and the backup line is loosely attached to the mainline with intermittent connectors."

Investigators reported that slackliners had installed lines and signalization, including windsocks and LEDs, between anchors on the bluffs. A witness described hearing the helicopter approach and then seeing it strike the lines. After striking the lines, the helicopter pitched nose up, yawed to the right, the tailboom separated, and the fuselage inverted before impacting terrain. Examining the wreckage, investigators found material consistent with slackline webbing embedded in the vertical stabilizer and striations on rotor blades and stabilizers consistent with webbing contact.

The NTSB noted that a Notice to Air Missions, or NOTAM, had been filed that referenced a "tight rope" near the Superior airport for Dec. 26 through Jan. 6. That NOTAM was not listed for Pegasus Airpark in Queen Creek, where McCarty began his flight, a discrepancy that underscores how route origins and local guidance can affect pilot awareness of temporary hazards.

For Baker County residents, the crash spotlights the intersection of recreational use of canyon and bluff country and the needs of general aviation. Columbia Basin Helicopters served regional agricultural and flight operations out of La Grande; McCarty's ties to the county and to pilots based at Pegasus Airpark mean the loss will be felt across local flying and business communities.

The NTSB warned that a final report is likely 12 to 24 months away. In the meantime, the preliminary findings are likely to fuel discussion among pilots, local officials, and recreational groups about notification practices, the placement and marking of highlines, and how to prevent similar tragedies.