Reported Missing When The Driver Transporting The Aircraft On A Flatbed Truck Stopped Answering His Phone

It's not where you'd expect to find a helicopter, but Dallas police say that a 2002 Bell 430 was located on a trailer in the parking lot of a Dallas motel. The aircraft, worth a reported $2.5 million, was being transported to it's new owner in Pennsylvania when it went missing.

File Photo

The aircraft was reported missing and assumed stolen Thursday night. It had been sold by a person in Colleyville, TX, to a company in Pennsylvania, and a driver was hired May 19th to deliver it to its new owner. But television station KDFW reports that the driver stopped answering his phone on June 1st, and the alert was issued to be on the lookout for the presumed-stolen Bell.

It was located at a Century Inn near the city, and a tow truck driver was called in to haul it to the police impound lot, where it apparently attracted a lot of attention.

Authorities say the driver who was hired to deliver the aircraft reportedly "got sick" and was unable to continue his trip. They said he is unlikely to be charged with any crime.

FMI: www.dallaspolice.net