A 59-year-old Queen Creek man and three family members who were killed on Friday in a helicopter crash in the mountains near Telegraph Canyon south of Superior have been identified.

In a Facebook post, Elizabeth Gallup of Stanfield, Oregon, stated that her uncle, David McCarty, her cousin, Katelyn Heideman, and her two younger sisters, Rachel and Faith McCarty, were killed in the crash.

David McCarty was flying the helicopter, according to the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office.

“They went out for a helicopter ride in Arizona. The helicopter crashed and they never got the chance to come home,” Gallup stated. “My family and I want to thank you all for the positive thoughts, prayers, calls and text messages. 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.”

The Queen Creek Independent has reached out to Gallup for comment.

The Elkhorn Media Group in Oregon is reporting that David McCarty was the owner of Columbia Basin Helicopters, based in La Grande, Oregon.

PCSO began receiving reports at around 11 a.m. on Friday that a helicopter had gone down.

That evening, PCSO Search and Rescue, Superior Fire, Queen Valley Fire and BORSTAR crews “reached the wreckage on foot alongside Federal Aviation Administration investigators and confirmed the four fatalities as a result of the crash,” according to a PCSO statement.

After receiving reports of the crash, PCSO stated that deputies responded and visually located the wreckage from the helicopter, which had departed from Pegasus Airpark in Queen Creek.

A temporary flight restriction was issued over the area by the FAA for safety reasons.

“Preliminary evidence indicates a recreational slackline more than 1 kilometer long had been strung across the mountain range. An eyewitness who called 911 reported seeing the helicopter strike a portion of the line before falling to the bottom of the canyon,” the PCSO statement continued.

Slacklining is similar to tightrope walking using a 1- to 2-inch-wide length of polyester webbing anchored between two points, according to Slackline U.S., a nonprofit organization that promotes the sport. Slacklines can be positioned close to the ground, over water and between higher points such as cliffs.

The investigation has been turned over to the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board.

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