A man who broke into an airport in Brazil to “test” a helicopter crashed the plane as it attempted to take off, local media reported.
g1According to , the incident occurred at Kashambu Airport in the southern state of Minas Gerais. A 33-year-old man entered the runway, boarded a helicopter, attempted to take off, crashed the plane, and fled the scene.
There were no injuries. Firefighters were called to the scene and found a small fuel leak at the scene, but no fire or explosion was reported.
Police said the helicopter involved in the incident is privately owned and not owned by the flight school. The aircraft was located outside the hangar at the time of the attempted theft. It is believed that the man entered the airport by cutting through the security fence.
The man was arrested at around 3pm (local time) on Sunday (8th) at his home in San Lourenço, near Kashambu, and was later taken to a police station.
During interrogation, the man stated that he had entered the aircraft to “test” it. He also said he had a pilot’s license, but it was expired.
The man also claimed that he had committed similar acts in California, USA. The plane flew for several minutes, landed on a beach, and then fled. Authorities are currently investigating this claim.
At the time of the arrest, a laptop computer, a mobile phone, and the clothing the man was wearing at the time of the incident were seized for investigation. The Center for Air Accident Investigation and Prevention (CENIPA) is also responding to the incident.
Photo: Military Police/Fire Brigade. This content was created with the assistance of AI and reviewed by our editorial team.
