Oregon lawmakers are calling for accountability from the Federal Aviation Administration following a deadly helicopter crash that killed four Oregonians last month.

U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley sent a letter to FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford on Friday, demanding answers and pushing for improved emergency safety regulations.

On Jan. 2, a helicopter carrying four family members from Eastern Oregon hit a recreational slackline that was hanging 600 feet in the air across Telegraph Canyon in Arizona’s Tonto National Forest.

The crash killed 59-year-old pilot David McCarty and his three nieces, Rachel McCarty, 23, Faith McCarty, 21, and Katelyn Heideman, 21.

“While a thorough investigation is necessary to develop comprehensive, data-based recommendations, it’s clear that immediate action must be taken to prevent another similar tragedy,” the senators wrote in their letter.

The senators asked the agency to describe how it currently regulates slackline visibility and notifications for pilots.

They also asked if the FAA is considering increasing the visibility of slacklines, and whether the agency will issue temporary flight restrictions over slacklines in the future as an added precaution.

The National Transportation Safety Board released a five-page preliminary report of the crash late last month. The full investigation could take up to a year to complete, according to the senators.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/02/13/oregon-senators-demand-faa-action-after-deadly-arizona-helicopter-crash/