A helicopter crashed at the Sacramento Executive Airport early Wednesday after a man attempted to steal the aircraft.

At some time between 2 and 3 a.m., the thief broke into and tried to start four helicopters at the noncommercial airport before successfully starting one. However, he could not pilot the vehicle, which crashed and rolled on its side with its blades sheared off.

The burglar fled the scene and has not been apprehended.

A muddy footprint was found nearby, and one theory is the man hopped fences to reach the inside of the airport.

The FBI is now in charge of the investigation, with assistance from local law enforcement and the National Transportation Safety Board.

Investigators have not determined whether the suspect had keys or how far he managed to get off the ground. Surveillance footage records the man running away from the scene of the crash.

“It’s pretty bold to try and steal an aircraft because you have to have some knowledge, I think, to be able to adequately fly one,” Sean Ragan, FBI special agent in charge, told KTXL, a Sacramento, California, Fox affiliate.

The motive, meanwhile, has not been determined.

“It could be somebody wanting to take an aircraft for a joyride, it could be somebody wanting to take an aircraft to do some other criminal activity with it, some kind of damage to some other property. Terrorism would be at the other end of the scope,” Agent Ragan told KCRA-TV, a Sacramento NBC affiliate.

Capitol Helicopters, owner of the helicopters, said in a statement Wednesday that none of its employees were hurt in the crash.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.