Early Thursday morning at Van Nuys Airport, a stolen small plane made a sudden stop, crashing into the wall of a hangar, authorities reported. Based on information from NBC4, the Los Angeles Airport Police have taken one suspect into custody in connection with the theft of a single-engine Cessna from a local flight school. The act of mischief took place around 4 a.m., with the perpetrator breaching school security prior to commandeering the aircraft.
Despite efforts to commandeer the skies, the white Cessna 172 never achieved flight, instead creating chaos on the tarmac with a collision sometime around 5 a.m., as reported by ABC7. The Federal Aviation Administration is also investigating the incident, which left a hole in the hangar's exterior where the plane met its grounded fate. Authorities have yet to release the identity of the detained suspect.
KTLA footage showed the aftermath, with the aircraft lodged nose-first into the building. The plane's journey ended prematurely on the ground, taxiing into the hangar wall, where it settled until authorities could clear the scene. Rich Prickett from KTLA’s Sky5 captured the moment, noting the plane was later relocated inside the flight academy.
As the federal officials confirmed to KTLA, the FBI has joined forces with local law enforcement to delve into this airborne misadventure. It remains unclear which agency is leading the investigation into the crash involving the stolen plane, and while several people were seen inspecting the site and moving the plane, investigators have kept details close to their vests regarding how the plane was purloined and whether there were any injuries.
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