Neither The Pilot Or The Aircraft Have Been Found

A California man missing since July 1 is suspected of stealing an airplane from a local flying club and crashing the aircraft, though neither the pilot or the plane have been located.

Television station KGO reports that the pilot is Hugo Mar, 64, (pictured) a licensed private pilot and a member of the Santa Cruz Flying Club. The club is based at the Watsonville Municipal Airport (KWVI) about 20 miles south of Santa Cruz, CA.

The plane was reported stolen June 27, and Mar's family reported him missing July 1. Video footage from the airport shows the plane taxiing towards the runway at about 10:30 p.m. local time, but there is nothing showing Mar getting into the plane.

The plane disappeared from radar about three miles out over the ocean, and there has been no trace of the airplane or the pilot since despite a Coast Guard of the area where the plane disappeared. Police say they believe that the plane went down.  

Michelle Pulido, press officer for the Watsonville Police Department, said during a news conference that Mar's car had been abandoned in a parking lot near the airport often used by pilots.

As a member of the club, Mar was authorized to be on the airport property, but he did not reserve the airplane on the day of the flight. Watsonville Municipal Airport director Rayvon Williams said that he believes that the airport is secure "but someone that is authorized, does have access and has been a pilot before ... we believe this is a tragic incident."

(Undated photo provided by the Watsonville, CA police department)

FMI: Source report