Feds Claim Aircraft Improperly Sold, Weren't Demilitarized

Earlier this week, federal agents confiscated four F-14 Tomcat fighters in Southern California belonging to private owners, after investigators determined the jets had been sufficiently demilitarized, and may have been improperly sold. Three of those aircraft belong to aviation museums.

In a court affidavit filed by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent, authorities claim the jets weren't stripped of military hardware before they were sold to an Oxnard, CA scrap company in the mid-1990s, after the jets were retired at Point Mugu Naval Air Station.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the planes sold for about $4,000 apiece. One was purchased by the producers of the television drama "JAG" to be used as a prop; proceeds from the sale of all four jets went toward a morale-boasting program at Point Mugu.

Officials with the Defense Department have determined the planes should have been scrapped by the military -- but, apparently against orders, the officer in charge sold the planes to California Public Recycling instead, to be disposed of accordingly. A consultant with the scrap yard, Marc Keenberg, told officials the company later resold the planes to another scrap yard, and lost track of them after that.

On Tuesday, federal agents swept onto the Chino Airport and seized three planes -- two from the Yanks Air Museum, and another belonging to Planes of Fame. In a related sting operation, agents seized the "JAG" plane -- now owned by an aviation firm -- in Victorville, CA.

Agents learned of the possibly improper sales while investigating the possible sale of F-14 parts to Iran. As ANN reported, the belligerent Middle-Eastern country is the only foreign power still operating the 70s-era fighters... and the US wants to keep any and all technology and replacement parts from falling into their hands.

"The investigation has not uncovered any evidence that these planes have been plundered for parts by people with nefarious motives," said ICE spokeswoman Virginia Kice, "but the fact that they were not properly demilitarized certainly presents a potential vulnerability."

Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the US attorney's office in Los Angeles, told the Times no one had been charged with doing anything illegal -- but added the investigation goes on. "There are some issues related to statute of limitations, and we're examining those issues."

TV producer Donald Bellisario maintains his company went through the proper channels to purchase the Tomcat used on "JAG."

"They didn't sell us one. They gave us one, and they removed the engines," said Bellisario, whose company now produces the military drama "NCIS." "The Navy said to us, 'We can give you an old aircraft, but we have to demil it before we can give it to you.' I just assumed that's what happened."

Bellisario added the Navy "broke its back" -- alluding to the practice of slicing the fuselage in half, then welding it back together, to render the plane unflyable -- before his company took delivery of the plane.

Eventually, all four planes wound up under the stewardship of Aviation Warehouse in El Mirage, which later resold the planes to Yanks for $50,000 apiece.

"When I bought the planes, everything was 100% totally legal and aboveboard," said Mark Thomson, president of Aviation Warehouse, adding he plans to fight what he sees as the government's illegal search and seizure.

FMI: www.aviationwarehouse.net, www.nbvc.navy.mil/