Plane Stolen Twice In One Week Begs The Question: Just How Easy Is It To Steal A Plane?

KCAL

Plane theft is an exceedingly uncommon crime. The excavation of imaginable level thieves isn't large, pinch location being less than 1 cardinal progressive pilots successful nan United States. However, 1 level proprietor has been figuratively struck by lightning twice. A azygous Cessna 172 was stolen doubly complete nan past week from 2 wide aviation airports successful Southern California. The craft was recovered and recovered some times, but rule enforcement has yet to place a fishy successful either theft.

It would person been difficult to miss Jason Hong's Cessna 172 astatine Corona Airport, astir 18 miles westbound of Anaheim. The 75-year-old's level is painted successful unique red, orange, yellowish and bluish stripes. It's not yet clear really aliases erstwhile nan Cessna departed nan airport, but Hong contacted nan Corona Police Department erstwhile he realized nan level was missing, KCAL reports. The single-engine craft was recovered parked astatine different airport, Brackett Field, 17 miles away.

Hong realized that nan plane's artillery was dormant erstwhile he went to retrieve it. He told nan airport's head that he'd travel backmost successful a fewer days pinch a fully-charged battery. However, nan level went missing again. The Cessna was recovered astatine San Gabriel Valley Airport successful El Monte, California, astir 12 miles westbound of downtown Los Angeles, by nan El Monte Police Department. Patrol officers recovered nan level parked connected nan tarmac, chained to a bolt. This time, we cognize nan level was flown to nan airdrome because nan facility's CCTV camera would person seen nan craft towed done nan gates. According to KNBC, an eyewitness saw a female pinch nan level astatine nan airport.

While commercialized airliners don't person ignition keys, it's not a guarantee that mini turboprop planes do arsenic well. Small planes often don't person locks either. The astir important deterrent to backstage level theft is nan information astatine nan airdrome erstwhile nan level is parked. According to KVVU, a drawstring of level thefts successful 2024, three complete six weeks crossed nan full country, led to an summation successful scrutiny complete its mediocre information astatine wide aviation airports. A stolen 1,700-pound single-engine mightiness not airs nan aforesaid threat arsenic a 65,300-pound twin-engine jet, but it tin still beryllium a threat to nan nationalist if anyone tin conscionable return 1 for a joyride.