Crashed Helicopter Recovered After Groom Flying Nieces on Wedding Day Likely Struck a Slackline

Federal investigators have recovered the helicopter that crashed in Arizona, killing a pilot and his three nieces on the day of his wedding.

A spokesperson for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) told The Arizona Republic that the helicopter was recovered on Sunday, Jan. 4 — two days after the aircraft went down near Telegraph Canyon in Superior. The crash claimed the lives of pilot David McCarty and his nieces, Rachel McCarty, Faith McCarty, and Katelyn Heideman.

The NTSB confirmed Tuesday, Jan. 6, that the aircraft has been transported to a secure facility for further examination. Investigators are focusing on three primary factors: the pilot, the aircraft, and the operating environment.

As part of the ongoing investigation, authorities are reviewing air traffic control communications, radar data, and witness statements.

The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office previously said the helicopter departed from Pegasus Airpark in Queen Creek. Emergency responders were dispatched around 11 a.m. local time after reports of a crash. Officials later confirmed that emergency crews, along with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigators, reached the wreckage on foot.

Authorities said the three female victims were ages 22, 21, and 21. The women were cousins, and David McCarty was their uncle, according to a relative’s Facebook post.

In an earlier update, the sheriff’s office noted that the helicopter may have struck a recreational slackline stretched across the mountainous terrain.

“Preliminary evidence indicates a recreational slackline more than one kilometer long had been strung across the mountain range,” authorities said. “An eyewitness who called 911 reported seeing the helicopter strike a portion of the line before falling to the bottom of the canyon.”

Following the crash, the FAA issued a temporary flight restriction in the area.

The NTSB said a preliminary report is expected within approximately 30 days. A final report determining the probable cause and any contributing factors is expected to take between 12 and 24 months. The FAA is also participating in the investigation.

McCarty and his fiancée, Joelleen Linstrom, announced their engagement on social media in September. After the crash, Linstrom shared a photo believed to show her late fiancé fishing, without adding a public statement.

Family members told Fox affiliate KSAZ that McCarty, an experienced pilot, had been flying his nieces on a sightseeing trip ahead of his wedding ceremony.

Mary Jane Heideman, the mother of Katelyn and aunt to Rachel and Faith, told The Arizona Republic that the young women “had such bright futures” and that the loss is “just hard to fathom.”

“They were all so loved,” she said.