A man who broke into an airport in Brazil to “test” a helicopter ended up crashing the aircraft during takeoff, local media reported.
A g1 according to the incident happened at the Caxambu airport in the southern part of the state of Minas Gerais. The 33-year-old man entered the runway, boarded the helicopter, then crashed the plane after an attempt to take off and then fled.
There were no personal injuries. The fire department was alerted and a minor fuel leak was found at the scene, with no fire or explosion.
According to the police, the helicopter in question is privately owned and does not belong to a flight school. At the time of the attempted theft, the aircraft was outside the hangar. The man allegedly gained access to the area by cutting through the airport’s security fence.
The suspect was arrested on Sunday afternoon (8th) at around 15:00 (local time) in the city of São Lourenço, which is located near Caxambu, and taken to the police station.
In his testimony, the man told the police that he entered the area to “test” the aircraft. He also stated that he had a pilot’s license, but it had already expired.
The man also claimed to have done the same in the US state of California. According to him, he managed to fly the aircraft for a few minutes, landed on a beach and then fled. This claim is currently being investigated by the authorities.
At the time of the arrest, a laptop, a mobile phone, and the clothing worn at the time of the incident were also seized in order to continue the investigation. The Aeronautical Accident Investigation and Prevention Center (CENIPA) was also involved in monitoring the case.
Photos: Military Police / Fire Department. This content is generated with the help of artificial intelligence and verified by the editors.
