Turbine Section Of The Engine Had Been Removed And Reinstalled Three Times In The Past Month
On July 17, 2020, at about 0854 Pacific daylight time, a Hiller UH-12D helicopter, N2297W, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Mehama, Oregon. The pilot was fatally injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 137 aerial application flight. There were no witnesses to the accident. The support truck operator reported that the helicopter departed from the truck and flew towards the next field. Shortly after departing the truck operator heard the pilot report over the radio that he was "going down."