A bizarre incident in which a plane was stolen from Palo Alto Airport and then landed on a beach in Half Moon Bay has raised many questions about airport security.
According to the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, Luis Gustavo Aires, a 50-year-old Florida man, stole a single-engine plane that ended up crash-landing near Poplar Beach.
One pilot was surprised at how easy the immigration process was at Palo Alto Airport.
“It's pretty rare. You hear about it every once in a while, but it's something that happens every few years and it doesn't happen all that often,” pilot Scott Richardson said. “So if you're a pilot, you probably know how to go directly to the field. Boarding the plane is another matter. Unfortunately, many planes are easy to board.”
Aviation expert Mike McCarron agrees, saying it's not that different from stealing a car.
“So, how did Palo Alto gain access to the gangway where the plane was parked? That needs to be investigated,” he said.
McCarron added that eyewitness accounts of the flight and landing speak volumes about the level of expertise required for the getaway flight.
“It came back, came down to the beach, flew really low again, and kind of landed. And the tail…the nose stuck in the sand. The guy jumped off. He said, 'I'm out of gas. ’ and left,” witness Ryan Gross said.
“When it comes to flying a plane, the plane basically wants to fly by itself. If you get enough speed, the plane will fly low, so he learned how to keep the plane level. I had it,” McCarron said.
City and county officials are investigating these issues. Although it was a rough flight and landing, it is not considered a crash, so the FAA and NTSB are not involved.
