A classic piece of aviation, a 1940s-era plane, was stolen and later found scorched beyond recognition in Long Beach, according to the plane's owner, Anis Pradhan. The Piper PA-15 aircraft, which had been rebuilt over 10 years by Pradhan, a certified flight instructor, was taken from a Torrance parking lot earlier this month. The theft, captured on surveillance footage, showed a white pickup truck hauling away the treasure-containing Airstream trailer on the night of Jan. 3, KTLA reports.
Pradhan, whose plans for the plane included taking it to Nepal to teach children about mechanics and flying, is devastated by the loss. "I’ve spent so many hours, thousands of hours, putting this aircraft together and in a matter of minutes, it just disappeared," he told KTLA. The theft took place in the 22800 block of Lockness Avenue near Sepulveda Boulevard, the unlocked gate to the warehouse lot offered up little resistance to the thieves.
The airplane's hidden fate came to light after firefighters discovered the charred remains of the Airstream trailer on Saturday near 17th Street and Daisy Avenue in Long Beach, according to what Pradhan informed ABC7. An anonymous tipster who works in the area subsequently provided photos of the gutted trailer before it had been scrapped, but the plane itself had already been dismantled and destroyed by the time Pradhan was notified.
"All my work for all these years just disappeared in a matter of a few minutes, which is heart-wrenching," Pradhan conveyed to ABC7. The loss of the uninsured, U.S. built plane—measuring 22 feet in length and 35 feet in width—is valued at around $250,000 including 4 rebuilt engines, four propellers and vintage spare parts, per the assessment of those familiar with the aircraft and custom trailer.
As the Long Beach Police Department has yet to provide more details, Pradhan has taken to GoFundMe to raise funds for a new plane, hoping to continue his mission to educate aspiring pilots and mechanics. Despite the setback,, his determination to educate the youth of Nepal remains steadfast. The investigation into the theft and destruction of the vintage plane is ongoing.
