A man who invaded an airport in Brazil to “test” a helicopter ended up crashing the aircraft during an attempted takeoff, local media reported.
According to g1, the incident took place at Caxambu Airport, in the south of the state of Minas Gerais. The 33-year-old man invaded the runway, entered the helicopter and, after attempting to take off, crashed the aircraft before fleeing the scene.
No one was injured. The Fire Department was called to respond to the incident and identified a small fuel spill at the site, with no reports of fire or explosion.
According to police, the helicopter involved 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 suspect reportedly entered the area after cutting through the airport’s security fence.
The individual was arrested on Sunday afternoon (8) at around 3:00 p.m. (local time) at his home in São Lourenço, a municipality near Caxambu, and was later taken to the police station.
In his statement, the man told police that he had invaded the site to “test” the aircraft. He also told officers that he held a pilot’s license, which had expired.
The man further claimed that he had done something similar in the state of California, in the United States. According to him, on that occasion he managed to fly the aircraft for a few minutes, landed on a beach and then fled. This claim is currently being investigated by authorities.
At the time of the arrest, a laptop, a mobile phone and the clothing worn by the man during the incident were seized to support the investigation. The Aeronautical Accident Investigation and Prevention Center (CENIPA) was called in to follow the case.
Photos: Military Police / Fire Department. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
