Tue, Mar 02, 2004
Thief Leaves Behind Wrecked Plane, Few Clues
After breaking into 16
hangars at the Brazoria County Airport (TX) early Sunday, an
unidentified suspect finally found an airplane he could steal. But
the plane thief didn't get far. The Cessna 172 crashed after the
pilot flew the plane into a series of high-tension power lines
about two miles southeast of the airport. "It's just an
absolute miracle that he lived," said Louis Jones, Brazoria
County's aviation director. "The aircraft was, of course, totaled."
Brazoria County Sheriff's deputies, however, found only a heap of
mangled metal when they arrived at the scene sometime after the
6:45 a.m. crash.
"No pilot was found at the crash site," said Lisa Block, a
spokeswoman with the Texas Department of Public Service, which is
investigating the theft. Investigators followed a set of tracks
leading from the crash site but no pilot was found or evidence that
anyone was injured in the crash. Investigators traced the
airplane's tail number to the Brazoria County Airport. The hangar
where it had been stored was empty. "We found that several other
hangars had their locks cut and at least one airplane had been
pulled out," Jones said.
Except for the cut locks, there was no damage to any of the
airplane hangars. The thief may have attempted to steal a more
challenging Beechcraft Bonanza airplane before settling on the less
demanding Cessna, an airport worker said. Investigators questioned
the owner of the Cessna later Sunday, Jones said. However, he
wasn't able to shed any light on the crash. "He knew nothing about
his plane being flown," Jones said. "We're making the assumption it
was stolen."
A band of heavy haze and fog that settled over the area caused
limited visibility and may have contributed to the crash. The crash
sheared off the plane's tail and folded back the wings. The crash
cut electrical power to about 11,000 customers in the area. Utility
work crews were able to divert power around the crash site and
restored electricity by 9 a.m.
FBI agents have joined the investigation into the stolen
airplane and also will be questioning the owners of other aircraft
based at the airport, Jones said. Although thieves sometimes steal
airplanes and fly them to waiting customers in other countries,
Jones couldn't recall such an incident ever occurring at the
Brazoria County Airport. "We have no idea whether it was a plane
theft or maybe the guy just decided to go for a joy ride," he
said.
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