Air Force helicopter shot from the ground in Virginia, bullet injures one crew member aboard

An Air Force helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing this week after someone shot it from the ground in Virginia. The vehicle landed at a nearby airport where one crew member was taken to the hospital and treated for injuries.

The helicopter, a UH-1N Huey, is assigned to the 1st Helicopter Squadron at Joint Base Andrews. It was flying close to 1,000 feet off the ground when the shooting began around the community of Middleburg.

The FBI is investigating the Monday incident. A team of Special Agents was dispatched to the Manassas Airport following reports of the shooting.

“The FBI Washington Field Office is working jointly with our law enforcement partners, including the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. One individual in the helicopter sustained a non-threatening injury, for which he was treated and subsequently released from the hospital,” said the FBI.

A statement from Joint Base Andrews said that their Office of Special Investigations is "fully engaged with our FBI colleagues on this incident," and that they take threats to the safety of their airmen "very seriously."

The FBI is requesting that anyone who was in the area at the time of the shooting who may have pertinent information call the FBI at 202-278-2000.