According To The Pilot, This Was Going To Be His First Flight In The Helicopter In 2 Weeks
On November 4, 2023, at 1200 Pacific standard time, a Bell UH-1H, N3053Q, was substantially damaged during startup near Firebaugh, California. The pilot was not injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight. According to the pilot, this was going to be his first flight in the helicopter in 2 weeks. He performed the preflight inspection and startup with no anomalies. As he was turning on the global positioning system and putting his helmet on, he began to see and smell smoke in the cockpit.