ECHO, Ore.-A vigil for the four people from Eastern Oregon killed in a helicopter crash on January 2 is planned for Friday, January 9, in Echo.
David McCarty, 59, and his three nieces, Rachel McCarty, 23, and Faith McCarty, 21, of Echo, and Katelyn Heideman, 22, of Hermiston, died when the helicopter, being flown by McCarty, crashed in Telegraph Canyon near Superior, Arizona.
McCarty, an experienced pilot who owned Columbia Basin Helicopters in La Grande, was taking his nieces on a sightseeing aerial tour before his wedding when the helicopter reportedly hit a recreational slackline above the canyon and crashed.
According to the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, an eyewitness reported that the helicopter hit the slackline before crashing, and preliminary evidence indicates that a recreational slackline over a kilometer long (3,280 feet) had been strung across the canyon.
The slackline had aviation markers attached to it and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had been informed of the line, according to the International Slackline Association, and an official aviation notice (NOTAM) about the line had been issued.
Recreational slacklining is similar to tightrope walking, where participants balance on a flat piece of webbing stretched between two points. The sport has been around for over 40 years but has been gaining popularity for the past decade, according to Slackline U.S.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are now investigating the crash.
The Echo School District is inviting family, friends and community members to a vigil for the crash victims at 5 p.m. on the Echo Commons on January 9. Attendees will have the opportunity to visit, share and remember stories during the informal service.
According to the district, those in attendance at the vigil will have the opportunity to walk together into the gym for the Echo Girls Basketball game against Pilot Rock at 5:45 p.m.
The Echo School District is also helping the McCarty and Heideman families with a memorial slide show. Any friends or community members with photos or videos of David, Rachel, Faith and Katelyn, who would like to share is asked to email jecox@echosd5.org
