Four members of the same family including a groom who was about to be married in a matter of hours have been killed in a helicopter crash in Arizona.
Pilot David McCarty, 59, had taken his three nieces out for a ride in the private aircraft on Friday just moments before he was due to say 'I do' to fiancée Joelleen Linstrom.
McCarty died along with Rachel McCarty, 22, Faith McCarty, 21, and Katelyn Heideman, 21, when the helicopter went down at around 11am in the rugged terrain of Telegraph Canyon, roughly 64 miles east of Phoenix.
The crash appears to have occurred after the aircraft struck a recreational slackline strung across the mountains.
Investigators say the line stretched more than half a mile across the canyon.
'An eyewitness who called 911 reported seeing the helicopter strike a portion of the line before falling to the bottom of the canyon,' the sheriff's office said in a statement.
McCarty was due to tie the knot with Linstrom but had taken his nieces for a ride ahead of the ceremony, family said.
The couple got engaged in September last year, according to their social media profiles.
A heartbroken Linstrom posted a photo of McCarty fishing in tribute following the deadly crash.
Keith Holloway, a spokesman for the NTSB, said in an email that the helicopter 'impacted wires and terrain under unknown circumstances,' adding that investigators are working to determine how the slackline came to be placed across the flight path and whether it was visible to pilots.
No highliners were present at the time of the collision. The International Slackline Association (ISA) said the highline had aviation markers attached to it and that the FAA had been informed with a NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) having been issued before the collision barring pilots from flying nearby.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident.
According to investigators, one of the helicopter's rotor blades may have separated after striking the line, causing the aircraft to overturn before slamming falling to the bottom of the canyon.
Due to the extreme terrain and isolation of the crash site, deputies and search-and-rescue teams were unable to reach the wreckage for several hours.
The helicopter was identified by the Federal Aviation Administration as an MD 369FF.
It had taken off earlier that morning from an airport in Queen Creek, a Phoenix suburb where McCarty also owned a home.
Officials said crews did not arrive on foot until around 5pm with the deaths of those onboard confirmed later that evening.
The FAA issued a temporary flight restriction over the area while recovery and investigative operations were underway.
'Our prayers are with the victims and their families,' the sheriff's office said.
McCarty was a longtime aviation professional and the owner of Columbia Basin Helicopters, a company he founded in 1997 and operated out of La Grande.
The business specializes in aerial operations, according to its website. Friends and family said he was an experienced pilot and deeply devoted to his loved ones.
'They were all so loved,' Mary Jane Heideman, the mother of Katelyn and aunt to Rachel and Faith said to The Arizona Republic.
'The girls had such bright futures. It's just hard to fathom this.'
Another of McCarty's nieces, Elizabeth Gallup, posted a heartbreaking message online as news of the crash spread.
'Many have heard about the unimaginable losses in my family today of my Uncle David McCarty, my cousin Katelyn Heideman, and my two baby sisters Rachel and Faith,' the post read.
'They went out for a helicopter ride in Arizona. The helicopter crashed and they never got the chance to come home.'
'My family and I want to thank you all for the positive thoughts, prayers, calls, and text messages,' the message continued.
'Please continue to pray over every single family member as we process this heartbreak. All the love and support is welcome. We truly have no words right now. They are all in heaven together.'
