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Family of helicopter crash victims call for changes
A woman who lost four family members in a helicopter crash in Superior is pushing for the FAA to improve warning systems in order to prevent similar tragedies in the future. FOX 10's Nicole Krasean reports.
PHOENIX - A woman who list four family members in a helicopter crash in Superior is pushing for changes in order to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
"People should be scared, because this is something that could take down any pilot," said Elizabeth McCarty Gallup.
The backstory:
The crash happened on Jan. 2. The MD 369FF helicopter crashed at around 11:00 a.m. near Telegraph Canyon. It had taken off from Pegasus Airpark in Queen Creek.
For a while, authorities didn't know if the victims survived due to the remote area of the crash. Once they found the crash site, they confirmed there were no survivors.
The victims were identified by family members as David McCarty, sisters Rachel McCarty and Faith McCarty, and Katelyn Heideman. The McCarty sisters and Heideman were David's nieces. The day of the crash was also David's wedding day. David was taking his nieces for a ride to see the sights before the ceremony.
According to a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board, the helicopter hit a slackline, which officials say "consists of a mainline that the participant balances on, and a backup line that the participant connects their safety harness to."
The helicopter, per the report, was "substantially damaged" when it hit the line.
It is also worth noting that another helicopter came within 10 feet of hitting the slackline the same day as the fatal crash.
What She Said:
Gallup said the four victims were all great people.
"Katelyn and Faith were both in college finishing up and getting ready to get careers going," Gallup said. "My sister Rachel worked on the farm. It's a huge loss not having her there, especially for my dad. I mean, that was his right-hand girl. And then my uncle David, he was an entrepreneur, he was what the American dream is made out of."
Gallup said David had over 20,000 hours of flight time at the time of the crash.
"He could fly just about any aircraft, and he was constantly doing new training and picking up new skillsets to make him a safe operator," Gallup said.
Dig deeper:
Per the initial NTSB report on the crash, a "Notice to Airmen" (NOTAM) was in place for the slackline, but that notice was only tied to an airport in Superior, and not to the one where David took off.
"It shouldn't be tied to a specific airport, because anybody can be flying in from any of those airports around Phoenix," Gallup said.
Gallup has taken her concerns to Washington, D.C. twice, meeting with lawmakers to share ideas for better NOTAM charting and improved visual markings.
"I know the report did say that there were 15 markings, five of those being windsocks," Gallup said. "It's really a question of whether a windsock is a true marking because if you're flying into a windsock, you're not gonna see it. Where they're anchored at, having them have some sort of mechanism that's high above the treeline that has a strobe light on it, to alert the pilot that there is something there."
All in the hopes of saving other families from the grief her family has been dealt.
"We want it safer for everybody out there and by no mean does increased safety mean restrictions," Gallup said.
What's next:
Gallup says she is getting good feedback from lawmakers, but the ultimate goal is getting the ear of the president and getting an executive order signed.
The Source: Information for this article was gathered by FOX 10's Nicole Krasean.