Investigators are trying to figure out how a Cessna 172 aircraft was allegedly stolen twice in one week from two separate Southern California airports.
According to a CBS Los Angeles report, the 1958 Cessna Skyhawk belongs to Jason Hong. The first theft happened at Corona Airport where Hong said he discovered the aircraft missing and immediately called local police. Not long after, he got a call from La Verne Police Department who said they’d found the 172 parked over at Brackett Field.
Hong discovered that the battery was dead, but otherwise the aircraft looked intact. He told the airport manager he would return in a few days to work on the aircraft.
According to the report, when Hong returned the aircraft was gone again. This time, it turned up at San Gabriel Valley Airport where graveyard shift patrol officers spotted it sitting on the tarmac—chained to a tie-down bolt, unoccupied. Airport management informed Hong that a woman had been seen with the aircraft several times.
The thefts are still under investigation.
Cessna 172 keys are easy to duplicate, regrettably. A hanger with locked doors is always preferable. Basic rules for aircraft ownership. Tell Mr. Hong. Especially in the LA valley with numerous airports, or even nearby. Plenty of locations to hide a stolen C-172.
Who would want a 67 yr old airplane?