Man Crash-Lands Stolen Plane in Fullerton, Escapes

Police are searching for a pilot who crash-landed a stolen light plane at Fullerton Municipal Airport on Saturday, then escaped from a security guard.

The pilot landed the two-engine Cessna Golden Eagle about 4:40 a.m., even though its landing gear was not properly locked, Fullerton Police Sgt. Douglas Cave said. The plane thumped down on the runway and skidded on one wing before stopping at a grassy area alongside.

A guard who saw the landing ran to the plane and confronted the pilot. The pilot said he was injured and needed medical help. The guard told investigators that the pilot had no visible injuries.

The guard drove the pilot to the tower, where he called for help. When the security guard returned, the pilot had disappeared.

Police said the plane had been stolen early Friday morning at Van Nuys Airport. Investigators said its landing gear was just 30% in position for landing.

Police said they do not know whether the plane had been used for illegal transportation.

But Cave said: “It’s not unusual or uncommon for somebody to steal a plane this size and use it for a drug run. They just dump the plane off somewhere and leave.”