A tragic helicopter crash near Telegraph Canyon in Arizona has raised questions about aviation safety and the efficacy of pilot alert systems. On January 2, a helicopter collided with a slackline—a tightrope stretched across a mountainous area—resulting in the deaths of pilot David McCarty, 59, and his three family members, Rachel McCarty, Faith McCarty, and Katelyn Heideman. Investigations continue to unravel what led to this incident.
As reported by FOX 10 Phoenix, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) did issue a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) about the presence of a slackline in the area, with the warning initially attached to Superior Airport rather than the location of takeoff at Pegasus Airpark in Queen Creek. This crucial piece of information could have failed to reach the pilot before departure—to fully uncover if there was a breakdown in the alert system, investigators are diving deep into the NOTAM system itself, which is currently undergoing upgrades for sorely needed improvements.
"Keeping track of everything going on in our airspace is a very big challenge," Cary Grant, a safety expert at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, told FOX 10 Phoenix. Grant elaborated on the difficulty in managing the countless variables that cross into the paths of airborne crafts each day. The NTSB's probe into the crash will scrutinize all aspects, from pilot protocols to the authority and visibility of the slackline which was, as confirmed by the International Slackline Association, marked and lit to alert aviation traffic.
Tom Anthony, director of the Aviation Safety and Security Program at the University of Southern California, highlighted to AP News, the importance for pilots to religiously review NOTAMs, but admitted the process can sometimes be overlooked due to its tedious nature. "It can be a drudge, a chore, but you've got to do it," Anthony stated. The FAA underscores the necessity of checking notices not just where flights originate or conclude, but across the entire flight path to significantly reduce the risk of such preventable tragedies.
The aviation community is now waiting on a preliminary report from the NTSB, expected within the next 30 days, that may shed additional light on the specifics of the crash. As the family mourns the loss of the McCartys, the safety experts continue tirelessly to emphasize situational awareness and the critical role it plays in aviation safety. "Unfortunately, we're seeing too many of these incidents where, you know, it's really preventable," Hassan Shahidi, president and chief executive of the Flight Safety Foundation, lamented to AP News.
