(CNN) –– A United States Air Force helicopter was shot near Manassas, Virginia, on Monday, and one of the two pilots on board was injured, according to an Air Force official.
The UH-1N helicopter was flying 16 kilometers northwest of Manassas in routine training at an altitude of 304 meters when the incident occurred. The aircraft landed safely at Manassas Regional Airport west of Washington City, and the pilot was taken to a hospital where he was treated and ultimately released, the official said.
The events are now under investigation by the FBI and the Air Force to determine if the helicopter was shot on purpose or if someone was firing random shots into the air. The aircraft will be thoroughly inspected for other damage, the official added.
Richard Allabaugh, an airport operations officer, reported that his control tower was notified of an "emergency aboard a military helicopter that was entering."
The pilots of the Air Force helicopter, identified as Mussel 16, can be heard when they report "a medical emergency" on the air traffic control audio. The aircraft initially scrapped plans to land at Manassas Regional Airport and later informed controllers that it was heading "directly to Manassas."
Paramedics were called to the airport.
The 316 wing of the US Air Force only confirmed that an incident occurred and that the helicopter made an emergency landing on Monday.
"A UH-1N Huey helicopter assigned to the 1st Helicopter Squadron at Joint Base Andrews made an emergency landing at 12:43 pm on August 10 in Manassas, Virginia, during a routine training mission," read in the notice.
“The Office of Special Investigations (OSI) is fully engaged with our colleagues at the FBI regarding this incident. OSI takes threats against our airmen and our resources very seriously. As it is an ongoing investigation, no further details of the investigation can be disclosed at this time, "the statement.
McClatchy was the first to report the shooting.
“On Monday, August 10, at approximately 12:00 pm, the FBI's Washington Field Office (WFO) dispatched special agents and their evidence response team to the Manassas airport after receiving reports that a helicopter had been fired upon from nearby ground, "the WFO said in a statement to CNN.
“The WFO is working closely with our security partners, including the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. One person in the helicopter suffered a non-life threatening injury, for which he was treated and later released from the hospital. The FBI requests that anyone in the nearby area at the time of the incident who may have information call the FBI at 202-278-2000, "the division added.
Christina Carrega and Greg Wallace, all from CNN, contributed to this report.
