Theft Gone Awry, Or Joyriding?

Police in Utah are looking into how -- and why -- a thief was able to gain access to a Diamond DA20-C1 parked on the ramp of Salt Lake City Municipal Airport 2 (U42).

Airport spokeswoman Barbara Gann told the Salt Lake Tribune airport police were dispatched at approximately 7 am Monday morning, after receiving a report an unidentified person had untied the two-seat airplane (file photo of type, above.)

The thief apparently broke the canopy lock, and was able to start the airplane using a screwdriver.

"It was effectively hot-wired like you would a car," Gann said. "It's very unusual. We've had nothing like this, or close."

The thief then taxied out for takeoff, but was apparently unable to do so. Skid marks trailed  the aircraft when police found it, off the side of the runway with its engine still idling. The would-be pilot was nowhere to be found.

The incident left the airplane's owner with many questions.

"I'm confused, I suppose, as to why someone would want to steal a small airplane like that," said Dr. Michael Belfort, whose company owns the Diamond. "I'm very interested to find out what the motivation for this person was."

Belfort said he leases the aircraft for flight training to Air Center of Salt Lake. He added the aircraft is supposed to be kept in the hangar when not in use.

**   Report created 2/7/2006   Record 5   
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IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 762DC        Make/Model: DV20      Description: DA-20/22, DV-20 KATANA, SPEED KATANA
  Date: 02/06/2006     Time: 0000

  Event Type: Incident   Highest Injury: None     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Unknown

LOCATION
  City: SALT LAKE CITY   State: UT   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  ACFT WAS FOUND IN THE FIELD OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY UNOCCUPIED WITH ITS
  ENGINE RUNNING, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN, SALT LAKE CITY, UT

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: NOT REPORTED

OTHER DATA

  Departed:                             Dep Date:    Dep. Time:     
  Destination:                          Flt Plan:              Wx Briefing: 
  Last Radio Cont: 
  Last Clearance: 

  FAA FSDO: SALT LAKE CITY, UT  (NM07)            Entry date: 02/07/2006

FMI: www.faa.gov