Man steals plane, flies it over 100 miles and gets caught. What a genius!
In a stunning display of a complete lack of common sense, an Idaho man stole a plane from the North Las Vegas airport and decided to fly it over 100 miles to a southern California airport on Tuesday. The only problem? He was eventually caught by the authorities.
According to reports, the man was able to steal the Cessna 172 from the airport without anyone noticing. One can only imagine the kind of Sherlock Holmes-like skills that it took to pull off such a heist.
After flying for over 100 miles, the man apparently landed the plane in a restricted area at the Barstow-Daggett Airport. He then ran into the desert, because why wouldn’t you want to take a stroll in 100-degree heat after committing a crime?
When officers eventually caught up to the man, he was found hiding behind a tree. Yes, a tree. Because, you know, there are so many trees in the middle of the desert.
It’s unknown at this time what the man’s motive was for stealing the plane and flying it over state lines. Perhaps he just needed to get to his Aunt Martha’s house in California and figured this was the quickest and most inconspicuous method. Or maybe he just wanted to add “grand theft aircraft” to his resume of poor life choices.
Either way, it’s clear that this man is not exactly at the top of his game. For starters, he probably should have realized that stealing a plane would be a bad idea. But if he was dead-set on taking to the skies, he could have at least put in a little more effort to avoid getting caught.
For example, he could have painted the plane in camouflage colors and flown it at night. Or he could have worn a disguise, like a fake mustache and a cowboy hat. Maybe he could have even bribed the air traffic control officers with some leftover Halloween candy.
But no, this man decided to just steal the plane and fly it willy-nilly into another state. He was probably lucky to have made it as far as he did before being apprehended.
One has to feel sorry for the Cessna 172, though. It was just minding its own business at the North Las Vegas airport when this guy decided to take it for a joy ride. And now it’s likely going to spend the rest of its days in an evidence locker, never to fly again.
In conclusion, let this be a lesson to all would-be plane thieves out there: stealing aircraft is a bad idea. It’s dangerous, illegal, and just plain stupid. And if you’re going to do it, at least make it interesting. Camouflage paint and cowboy hats go a long way.
