An unknown thief has been repeatedly taking the 1958 Skyhawk single-engine plane of Jason Hong and returning it for months, according to recent international media reports.
The 75-year-old California man, who no longer flies regularly, visited his plane on his birthday in July to discover that it was no longer in its hangar at the Corona Municipal Airport, according to the LA Times.
"I got confused," he told the paper. "I thought, ‘did I park it somewhere else, did the airport manager move it?’ But I looked all over."
While investigating his missing plane, Hong learned that an unknown pilot had taken it on two separate occasions prior to flying across California.
Neither Hong nor the police have been able to identify who took the “old treasure.”
Two days after the plane was reported missing, the La Verne Police Department informed Hong that it had been found at the Brackett Field Airport, about 25 miles northeast of Corona Municipal Airport.
Despite some trash and cigarette butts in the cockpit, the plane was found to be in the same condition it was taken in. Hong plans to clean up the plane and give it a full inspection.
Replacing the plane's battery
To prevent it from being taken for any more joyrides, Hong has since removed he plane’s battery.
Despite his efforts, the plane was discovered missing once again on August 3, this time located at San Gabriel Valley Airport by the Monte Police Department.
After traveling to collect his plane, again, Hong discovered that the thief had replaced the plane’s battery.
"Someone breaks into your house, they're looking for jewelry or cash right?" he told the LA Times. "But in this case, what's the purpose? It's like someone breaks my window, and then they put a new one up."
Sergeant Robert Montanez of the Corona Police Department told the LA Times that the plane "keeps disappearing out of the blue."
Police have not yet found any leads on who is stealing the plane, but believe that the thief has flight training and knowledge of plane maintenance. One pilot told police they witnessed a woman in her 40s or 50s sitting in planes belonging to him.