So many jokes..

[NoBShere]

Story below, saw somewhere else that it was citabria.

A Miami man was arrested Thursday after allegedly stealing a plane in Palo Alto and flying it to a sandy beach in Half Moon Bay.
The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office said Luiz Gustavo Aires, 50, stole a plane from a Palo Alto airport and then landed it on the sand just south of Poplar Beach in Half Moon Bay around 5 p.m. While investigating in the area, officials located Aires, who they said matched the description of the stolen plane’s pilot. Aires was arrested and booked into Maguire Correctional Facility in Redwood City on suspicion of stealing the plane. The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office and Palo Alto Police Department are still investigating the case. A witness reported seeing the plane land and then watching as the pilot walked away, according to the sheriff’s office.

Florida man...

People are leaving California by any means possible.

Flat earther pilot realizes the earth isn't flat and panics.

I thought I stole a beech.

This group should have a lot more to say.

 

[GaryM]

Colton Harris Moore, using an alias?

 

[Sac Arrow]

You know there is a perfectly good airport less than half a mile from that beach...

 

[NoBShere]

You know there is a perfectly good airport less than half a mile from that beach...

Yep, I’ve landed there a few times. But the location only makes the story more odd. To jump in and steel a tail wheel, he had to have some pilot experience. It’s like he did it on purpose.

 

[Sac Arrow]

Yep, I’ve landed there a few times. But the location only makes the story more odd. To jump in and steel a tail wheel, he had to have some pilot experience. It’s like he did it on purpose.

"Kids, that is why we say no to drugs."

I've lost count how many times I've flown to KHAF. Everything you want is just right there within a short walk. Beach, harbor, hiking, seafood. And there is something satisfying about being able to look down and see the PCH in complete gridlock.

 

[Albany Tom]

I'll give a no humor response. Maybe he rented a plane from someone that didn't actually own the plane? Plenty of people out there landing on beaches just because they can...although I can't speak to that particular beach at all. Anyway, pretty sure I've head of people renting air b&b's or the equivalent, where the owner wasn't part of the "rental".

 

[jimhorner]

I got some info from a friend of the owner. The plane is on the the rental list at Advantage Aviation. Evidently the thief tried to steal a plane adjacent to the one that was stolen -- covers and tie downs removed, but that plane had a dead battery. The thief then moved on to N446AC, removed, folded, and stowed! the covers and then took off. The plane had lots of gas, so landing on the beach instead of at KHAF was a choice, not a neccessity.

The plane is back in the Advantage Aviation hangar in Palo Alto now.

 

[Sac Arrow]

Although no apparent structural damage, soaking the engine and electronics in saltwater probably effectively totals it for insurance.