A 17-year-old girl is behind bars after she allegedly tried to steal a plane at the Fresno Yosemite International Airport in California Wednesday morning, authorities said.
According to Fresno Police Chief, Drew Bessinger, the unidentified teenager managed to climb a fence at an airport maintence building at around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday morning and was able to gain access to a King Air 200 propeller-driven aircraft. The 17-year-old managed to start one engine, but as the plane began to move, the girl lost control and the aircraft crashed through a fence and into a nearby building, causing considerable damage to the plane.
The plane never became airborne at any point, and no one was injured, authorities said.
Authorities found the 17-year-old seated in the pilot's seat of the plane, still wearing the pilot's headset. Police described her as being disoriented and uncooperative.
The girl was booked by Fresno police for theft of an aircraft. A motive for the theft is being investigated, but police do not believe she had any kind of terrorism intentions.
While the 17-year-old girl's plane never became airborne, the incident is similar to one that occurred in August 2018, in which an airline employee was able to steal a plane and take off from Seattle airport. The 29-year-old mechanic eventually crashed the Horizon Air Q400 into Ketron Island after flying it for more than 40 minutes.