Thief Leaves Behind Wrecked Plane, Few Clues

After breaking into 16 hangars at the Brazoria County Airport (TX) early Sunday, an unidentified suspect finally found an airplane he could steal. But the plane thief didn't get far. The Cessna 172 crashed after the pilot flew the plane into a series of high-tension power lines about two miles southeast of the airport. "It's just an absolute miracle that he lived," said Louis Jones, Brazoria County's aviation director. "The aircraft was, of course, totaled." Brazoria County Sheriff's deputies, however, found only a heap of mangled metal when they arrived at the scene sometime after the 6:45 a.m. crash.

"No pilot was found at the crash site," said Lisa Block, a spokeswoman with the Texas Department of Public Service, which is investigating the theft. Investigators followed a set of tracks leading from the crash site but no pilot was found or evidence that anyone was injured in the crash. Investigators traced the airplane's tail number to the Brazoria County Airport. The hangar where it had been stored was empty. "We found that several other hangars had their locks cut and at least one airplane had been pulled out," Jones said.

Except for the cut locks, there was no damage to any of the airplane hangars. The thief may have attempted to steal a more challenging Beechcraft Bonanza airplane before settling on the less demanding Cessna, an airport worker said. Investigators questioned the owner of the Cessna later Sunday, Jones said. However, he wasn't able to shed any light on the crash. "He knew nothing about his plane being flown," Jones said. "We're making the assumption it was stolen."

A band of heavy haze and fog that settled over the area caused limited visibility and may have contributed to the crash. The crash sheared off the plane's tail and folded back the wings. The crash cut electrical power to about 11,000 customers in the area. Utility work crews were able to divert power around the crash site and restored electricity by 9 a.m.

FBI agents have joined the investigation into the stolen airplane and also will be questioning the owners of other aircraft based at the airport, Jones said. Although thieves sometimes steal airplanes and fly them to waiting customers in other countries, Jones couldn't recall such an incident ever occurring at the Brazoria County Airport. "We have no idea whether it was a plane theft or maybe the guy just decided to go for a joy ride," he said.

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