(KTXL) — Multiple helicopters were broken into and one was operated before crashing on Wednesday morning at the Sacramento Executive Airport, according to the Sacramento Police Department.
Police said they received several reports of multiple helicopters being broken into early Wednesday morning.
Officers that responded found a helicopter with major damage that “appeared to have been operated,” police said in a statement. The chopper, a Bell 429 model, was left on its side.
Surveillance video shows that a person was able to get onto the tarmac and attempted to break into helicopters. They were able to operate the Bell 429, which is registered to an Oregon man, according to authorities.
Sacramento Police, the FAA, and the FBI are now investigating the incident.
“Part of the investigation would be to determine motive, as to why this individual attempted to steal a helicopter,” Sean Ragan from the FBI told Nexstar’s KTXL. “At this point, we have no indication that there is terrorism involved, or that there is any terrorism motivation, but that is part of the ongoing investigation.
Law enforcement did not provide any details about the person seen in the surveillance video but said they have identified a person of interest.
How the individual entered the airport grounds wasn’t immediately clear, according to the FBI.
The Sacramento Executive Airport is located in South Sacramento and primarily serves smaller aircraft.