VIDEO: FBI, Sacramento police hunt man who crashed $75M helicopter in attempted theft

Police are searching for a man who crashed a $7.5 million helicopter in Sacramento after trying to steal it from a private airbase on Wednesday. 

The suspect broke into Sacramento Executive Airport early morning on Wednesday to steal an aircraft. The man tried four different helicopters on the tarmac before getting a fifth one to start. 

After getting the luxury Bell 429 helicopter to start, the man attempted to fly off but could not get airborne. The helicopter eventually crashed on the tarmac, damaging the other helicopters nearby. 

Police officers responded to the break-in, but by the time they arrived, the suspect had already fled the scene. 

“The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Sacramento Field Office and Sacramento Police Department is investigating the theft of an aircraft at Sacramento Executive Airport that caused damage to multiple aircraft at Sacramento Executive Airport this morning,” said an FBI spokesman.

“Upon arrival on scene Sacramento Executive Airport, an officer located a helicopter that had been operated, and was involved in an incident that caused damage to multiple aircraft,” the spokesman added.

The $7.5 million-worth, 7-passenger Bell 429 helicopter that crashed is believed to belong to Capitol Helicopters. The helicopter was significantly damaged during the incident and appeared to be totaled—its tail boom cracked and rotors snapped. 

The FBI is searching for the suspect with the assistance of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA is expected a preliminary report on the accident in the coming days. 

“This investigation is in its early stages, and this information is preliminary as detectives work to learn exactly what occurred,” police told The Sacramento Bee.