MEHAMA, Ore. — A Salem man was killed in a helicopter crash in Marion County on Friday morning, authorities said.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office tweeted that deputies responded to the crash north of Mehama just after 9 a.m.
Emergency crews found the wreckage of a 1960 Hiller helicopter in a tree line next to a Christmas tree field.
Deputies identified the pilot as Terry Harchenko, 65, of Salem.
Harchenko was using the helicopter to spray the Christmas trees before the crash, deputies said.
It's unclear what caused the crash. Authorities contacted the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board.
Mehama is about 25 miles southeast of Salem.
