A 17-year-old girl was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly stealing and crashing a King Air 200 at California’s Fresno Yosemite International Airport (KFAT). The teen reportedly gained access to the ramp by climbing a fence near an airport maintenance building. It is not yet known how she was able to get into the aircraft and start one of the engines.
“The aircraft then began to move and pivot and crashed into a building and a fence on airport property,” said Airport Public Safety Chief Drew Bessinger. “The aircraft never became airborne and there was no fire. The aircraft did sustain some substantial damage, however.”
According to Bessinger, police responded to a 911 call reporting the theft and the crash. When officers arrived on the scene, they found the girl in the pilot’s seat of the aircraft. The incident took place at approximately 7:30 a.m. local time in the general aviation area of the airport. No injuries were reported and investigation into the incident is ongoing.
