Vandals Pull Piper Twin Apart, Damage 10 Others

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Key Takeaways:

Vandals spray painted, slashed tires and smashed instruments on and otherwise tampered with at least 11 aircraft, including a Citation 550, in a spree that caused hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damage at Monmouth Executive Airport, near Belmar, N.J. last week. It’s speculated that the vandals used a vehicle to tear the tail and part of the wing off a twin-engine Piper. “It appears that a motor vehicle, with a cable attached, may have been used to accomplish this damage,” Wall Township Police Lt. John Gavin told the Coast Star.

In fact, the violently disassembled Piper may be beyond repair, according to a spokesman for First in Flight, the airport business that reported the devastation. The vandalism is currently being investigated by the Wall Township Police Department. In addition, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, the FBI, and the FAA will also help in the investigation.

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