Good News! Arrest in plane theft case

[Jamie Rogers]

This is really great news! When is the last time that a
stolen plane has been successfully tracked and a suspect
arrested? Perhaps the "homeland security" drive gave the
feds an extra push to solve this case. If so, I think that
is the first (only?) positive affect on GA. Lakewood Muni
has had plane thefts and avionics thefts in the past with
hardly any notice by authorities when reported.
----

newspaper excerpt:

Stolen plane found

Published in the Ocean County Observer 10/30/03
By BRENDEN SHUR
Staff Writer

TOMS RIVER -- The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office yesterday
released information regarding the theft of a small private
plane in August and the arrest a month later of the
Minnesota man charged with stealing it.

Investigators were first notified Aug. 14 that a Cessna
airplane being housed at Lakewood Municipal Airport was
stolen while the owner was out of town and the plane was
being watched by a friend, spokesman Lt. Robert Urie said.

After Lakewood Capt. Robert C. Lawson and Capt. Robert Peck
of the prosecutor's office were notified, an investigation
ensued, Urie said.

"When it first came in, the terrorism coordinators gave it a
lot of attention," he said.

Following the notification of the Federal Aviation
Administration as well as the FBI, County Investigator Taryn
Rittacco Schwartz and Sgt. Paul Daly of the Lakewood Police
Department were given the case and investigated the theft,
according to a release from the prosecutor's office.

The pair requested the tracking of the plane's movements
through the FAA and learned that the plane had left Lakewood
shortly after 6 a.m. on Aug. 14 and flew to an airport in
Chatham, Ontario, Canada, the release stated.


FULL STORY:
http://www.injersey.com/observer/story/0,2554,843585,00.html

[Larry Fransson]

So this was in New Jersey, right? The state that requires double locks on all aircraft? Uh huh. Lotta good that did. It just goes to show that locks only serve to keep honest people honest.

--
Larry Fransson
Seattle, WA

[Jamie Rogers]

Larry Fransson wrote:

> So this was in New Jersey, right? The state that requires double locks on all aircraft? Uh huh. Lotta good that did. It just goes to show that locks only serve to keep honest people honest.

A standard ignition lock and locked door counts as "double locks" according to the New Jersey Division of Aeronautics. <http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsitems/2003/03-1-146x_faqs.html>
Double locking your aircraft is only required when the aircraft is left unused for at least 24 hours. I don't know anybody who intentionally leaves their magnetos hot, and locking the door sounds
like pretty good common sense to me, especially in a place where avionic thefts have occurred.

[Teacherjh]

>>
and locking the door sounds
like pretty good common sense to me
<<

Yes, but that's not the same as being required by law to lock the door.

It makes good sense not to drink gasoline too. But I don't think there's a law
against it (except perhaps the law against using gasoline for "other than its
intended purpose")

Jose

--
(for Email, make the obvious changes in my address)

[Mike O'Malley]

"Teacherjh" > wrote in message
...
> >>
> and locking the door sounds
> like pretty good common sense to me
> <<
>
> Yes, but that's not the same as being required by law to lock the door.
>
> It makes good sense not to drink gasoline too. But I don't think there's a
law
> against it (except perhaps the law against using gasoline for "other than its
> intended purpose")

Of course, that assumes you have a door that locks. Or a door period. And many
of those without doors, also don't have keyed ignition switches. Makes it kind
of hard to double lock your plane.

[Bob Noel]

In article >, "Mike O'Malley"
> wrote:

> Of course, that assumes you have a door that locks. Or a door period.
> And many
> of those without doors, also don't have keyed ignition switches. Makes
> it kind
> of hard to double lock your plane.


And, of course, no one should make the mistake of assuming that the NJ
legislature (sp?) knows enough about aircraft and security to understand
the impact and effectivenss of their laws.

--
Bob Noel

[Jim Buckridge]

(Teacherjh) wrote:

> Yes, but that's not the same as being required by law to lock the door.
>
> It makes good sense not to drink gasoline too. But I don't think there's a law
> against it (except perhaps the law against using gasoline for "other than its
> intended purpose")
>
> Jose

In NJ we can't even pump our own gasoline, so I wouldn't be suprised
if there *is* a law against drinking it :-)

[G.R. Patterson III]

Mike O'Malley wrote:
>
>
> Makes it kind of hard to double lock your plane.

Prop locks count. Throttle locks count. "The Club" counts. A logging chain and
Master padlock counts.

It may cost you a C-note, but it isn't hard to double lock a plane.

George Patterson
If you're not part of the solution, you can make a lot of money prolonging
the problem.

[Mike O'Malley]

"Jim Buckridge" > wrote in message
om...
> (Teacherjh) wrote:
>
> > Yes, but that's not the same as being required by law to lock the door.
> >
> > It makes good sense not to drink gasoline too. But I don't think there's a
law
> > against it (except perhaps the law against using gasoline for "other than
its
> > intended purpose")
> >
> > Jose
>
> In NJ we can't even pump our own gasoline, so I wouldn't be suprised
> if there *is* a law against drinking it :-)

I always chuckled at that- when I was working there, I couldn't put gas into my
own car. But I could fuel up my own airplane all day. Go figure.

--
Mike

[Ron Natalie]

"Mike O'Malley" > wrote in message ...

> > In NJ we can't even pump our own gasoline, so I wouldn't be suprised
> > if there *is* a law against drinking it :-)
>
> I always chuckled at that- when I was working there, I couldn't put gas into my
> own car. But I could fuel up my own airplane all day. Go figure.
>
That's because the small service station owner's lobby doesn't care anything about
airplanes. The reason you can't pump your own gas is to discourage the large
gas-n-go operations from coming in and pushing out the small operators.

Of course, even with full service, low gas taxes (nice to have several oil companies
headquartered in your state) mean that the gas prices are cheaper in NJ than in all
the neighboring states. Regularly fill up in Penns Grove (last exit in NJ) on my way
out of the state.

For NJ residents, this is totally wiped out by the rediculous insurance system there
caused by the fact that the legislature seems primarily composed of personal injury
lawyers.

[Pokey]

"G.R. Patterson III" > wrote in message >...
> Mike O'Malley wrote:
> >
> >
> > Makes it kind of hard to double lock your plane.
>
> Prop locks count. Throttle locks count. "The Club" counts. A logging chain and
> Master padlock counts.
>
> It may cost you a C-note, but it isn't hard to double lock a plane.
>
> George Patterson
>

Reminds me of a prank played on young maintenance guys in the Air
Force. They would be sent somewhere to get the keys to a particular
bird, not realizing that the birds do not require keys. Strange, when
you compare the cost and the potential lethality of fighter aircraft
vs. GA craft.
Pokey