Aviation records show that pilots were warned about a temporary slackline a week before a helicopter crash that killed a groom and his three nieces on his wedding day in Arizona.
The crash occurred on 2 January, about 64 miles east of Phoenix. The helicopter, flown by 59-year-old David McCarty, struck a portion of the line and fell to the bottom of a canyon, according to a witness. The victims included McCarty and his nieces, Rachel McCarty, Faith McCarty and Katelyn Heideman.
Federal aviation records reviewed by the Associated Press indicate that a notice was issued on 26 December, warning pilots of a tightrope stretched across a mountainous area. The notice stated that the line would be in place for several days and would be flagged and lit. The line was more than half a mile long.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash, which has drawn attention from the aviation community as slackline collisions are rare. Tom Anthony, director of the Aviation Safety and Security Program at the University of Southern California, noted that power lines and unmarked cables are a constant hazard for helicopter pilots because they are difficult to see. He emphasised the importance of reviewing Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) along the entire flight path.
Authorities confirmed the identities of those killed on Monday. McCarty, who owned Columbia Basin Helicopters, had been taking his nieces on a helicopter ride before his wedding ceremony. The company, based in Oregon and Arizona, had been awarded millions in federal contracts for firefighting and other projects.
