NTSB Scrutinizes FAA NOTAM Logic Following Fatal MD 530F Canyon Crash

SUPERIOR, AZ —  One week after a private helicopter plummeted into the rugged depths of Telegraph Canyon, the aviation community is reeling not only from the loss of four lives but from the glaring systemic failures it has unearthed. The crash, which occurred on January 2, 2026, has evolved into a national debate over the reliability of the FAA’s Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system.

As of the morning of January 9th, investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) remain on-site in the Pinal County wilderness, meticulously reconstructing the final moments of the MD 530F helicopter (often categorised as an MD 369FF) piloted by 59-year-old David McCarty.

The Collision

The flight departed Pegasus Airpark (5AZ3) in Queen Creek at approximately 10:45 AM for a short scenic tour. Onboard with McCarty were his three nieces: Rachel McCarty (23), Faith McCarty (21), and Katelyn Heideman (21).

At approximately 11:00 AM, while navigating through Telegraph Canyon—roughly 65 miles east of Phoenix—the aircraft struck a 1-kilometre-long recreational highline (a heavy-duty slackline) suspended 600 feet above the canyon floor. Witness reports describe a catastrophic separation of the main rotor following the impact, sending the airframe into an irrecoverable spin.

The NOTAM Failure

The crux of the investigation has shifted to why an experienced pilot like McCarty, a veteran of low-level agricultural and firefighting operations, was unaware of the obstruction. A NOTAM had indeed been filed on December 26, 2025, warning of the slackline. However, the warning was "attached" only to Superior Municipal Airport (E11).

Because McCarty’s flight originated at Pegasus Airpark, a standard pre-flight NOTAM briefing centred on his departure point failed to pull the warning for the Superior area, despite the two locations being less than 30 miles apart.

“The NOTAM system is long overdue for reform,” noted aviation commentator Gideon Ewers. “It is not fit for purpose, providing either an excess of information and masking the salient warnings, or, as in this case, the critical information is not revealed at all.”

The Industry Backlash

The International Slackline Association (ISA) confirmed the line was both flagged and lit, but images from the crash site suggest the marking may have been insufficient against the canyon’s complex backdrop.

DJ Vegh, the manager of Pegasus Airpark and a friend of the pilot, expressed the frustration of many in the local pilot community:

“I feel like had there been an open channel between slackliners and local pilots, there may have been a chance four people would still be alive. The pilot was a neighbour and a friend.”

Safety experts argue that the FAA’s reliance on pilots to manually parse through hundreds of "nearly meaningless" notices for a 25-nautical-mile radius is a relic of a bygone era. Tom Anthony, director of the Aviation Safety and Security Program at USC, told reporters:

“It can be a drudge, a chore, but you’ve got to do it... Power lines and unmarked cables are a perpetual concern for helicopter pilots because they are inherently difficult to see.”

Incident Summary & Investigation Status

Data verified as of January 9, 2026.

Looking Forward

The NTSB is expected to release its Preliminary Report within the next 21 days. In the interim, there is mounting pressure on the FAA to reclassify high-altitude slackline installations as Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs), which appear more prominently on digital moving-map displays used by modern pilots.