More evidence of weak security at GA airports

From AV Web:
"Seneca Stripped While Parked

By Russ Niles
Newswriter, Editor

A Cedar Falls, Iowa, man who local media reports say is an officer of his
local EAA chapter has been charged with systematically stripping parts from
a disabled Piper Seneca to be used in his own homebuilt project. John M.
Norcero was arrested last Tuesday and charged with first-degree theft. The
Seneca, owned by Jerry Dwyer, of Clear Lake, has been sitting at the
Waterloo Airport since it landed there after an engine failure about five
years ago. Dwyer told the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier he noticed an
engine and prop missing in August of 2004. Now, both engines, the landing
gear, instrument panel, autopilot and seats are gone. "It's just sitting
there on the ground ... flat on its belly," Dwyer said. Dwyer, who owns an
aircraft sales company, said he left the plane in Waterloo because he was
having a hard time finding a replacement engine. Even with the blown
engine, he estimated the plane to be worth $100,000 and he figures it will
cost at least $50,000 to reinstall the missing parts and fix damage caused
during their removal. "[The thief] chopped a hole in the side of the damn
thing to get the autopilot out," he said. Norcero was booked at the local
jail and then set free on a pre-trial release a few hours later."

At least they caught the thief/pilot. How can this type of stuff keep
happening? The lack of security at most GA airports is really apalling.
Its pilots like the above mentioned clown, the morons who ignore noise
abatement, who (attempt) to take off from freeways after running the tanks
down to fumes, etc. that are gonna ruin it.

It really is amazing. Mostly all of the bad press GA gets is SELF
INFLICTED by the few cowboys who refuse to abide by any rules of law or
common courtesy.

If the thief had a legal right to be inside the fence, then you are
leaping to a false conclusion that this incident is evidence of weak
security at GA airports.

"Skylune" wrote in message
lkaboutaviation.com...
From AV Web:
"Seneca Stripped While Parked

By Russ Niles
Newswriter, Editor

A Cedar Falls, Iowa, man who local media reports say is an officer of
his
local EAA chapter has been charged with systematically stripping parts
from
a disabled Piper Seneca to be used in his own homebuilt project. John
M.
Norcero was arrested last Tuesday and charged with first-degree theft.
The
Seneca, owned by Jerry Dwyer, of Clear Lake, has been sitting at the
Waterloo Airport since it landed there after an engine failure about
five
years ago. Dwyer told the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier he noticed an
engine and prop missing in August of 2004. Now, both engines, the
landing
gear, instrument panel, autopilot and seats are gone. "It's just
sitting
there on the ground ... flat on its belly," Dwyer said. Dwyer, who
owns an
aircraft sales company, said he left the plane in Waterloo because he
was
having a hard time finding a replacement engine. Even with the blown
engine, he estimated the plane to be worth $100,000 and he figures it
will
cost at least $50,000 to reinstall the missing parts and fix damage
caused
during their removal. "[The thief] chopped a hole in the side of the
damn
thing to get the autopilot out," he said. Norcero was booked at the
local
jail and then set free on a pre-trial release a few hours later."

At least they caught the thief/pilot. How can this type of stuff keep
happening? The lack of security at most GA airports is really
apalling.
Its pilots like the above mentioned clown, the morons who ignore noise
abatement, who (attempt) to take off from freeways after running the
tanks
down to fumes, etc. that are gonna ruin it.

It really is amazing. Mostly all of the bad press GA gets is SELF
INFLICTED by the few cowboys who refuse to abide by any rules of law
or
common courtesy.

Having a hard time finding an engine? Lamest excuse ever. What do you
expect is going to happen if you leave something valuable unattended for
five years?



Skylune wrote:

From AV Web:
"Seneca Stripped While Parked

By Russ Niles
Newswriter, Editor

A Cedar Falls, Iowa, man who local media reports say is an officer of his
local EAA chapter has been charged with systematically stripping parts from
a disabled Piper Seneca to be used in his own homebuilt project. John M.
Norcero was arrested last Tuesday and charged with first-degree theft. The
Seneca, owned by Jerry Dwyer, of Clear Lake, has been sitting at the
Waterloo Airport since it landed there after an engine failure about five
years ago. Dwyer told the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier he noticed an
engine and prop missing in August of 2004. Now, both engines, the landing
gear, instrument panel, autopilot and seats are gone. "It's just sitting
there on the ground ... flat on its belly," Dwyer said. Dwyer, who owns an
aircraft sales company, said he left the plane in Waterloo because he was
having a hard time finding a replacement engine. Even with the blown
engine, he estimated the plane to be worth $100,000 and he figures it will
cost at least $50,000 to reinstall the missing parts and fix damage caused
during their removal. "[The thief] chopped a hole in the side of the damn
thing to get the autopilot out," he said. Norcero was booked at the local
jail and then set free on a pre-trial release a few hours later."

At least they caught the thief/pilot. How can this type of stuff keep
happening? The lack of security at most GA airports is really apalling.
Its pilots like the above mentioned clown, the morons who ignore noise
abatement, who (attempt) to take off from freeways after running the tanks
down to fumes, etc. that are gonna ruin it.

It really is amazing. Mostly all of the bad press GA gets is SELF
INFLICTED by the few cowboys who refuse to abide by any rules of law or
common courtesy.

Newps:
"Having a hard time finding an engine? Lamest excuse ever. What do you
expect is going to happen if you leave something valuable unattended for
five years?"

Well, I guess calling a disabled plane parked at an airport while awaiting
parts "unattended." Of course, I would take that to indicate there is
insufficient security, even though the EAA member/thief obviously had
acess to the facility. How in the heck can you steal an airplane engine
with no one noticing a thing??? And then cutting a hole in the fuelage to
steal the autopilot? This must have taken some time, and no one noticed???

If the guy kept his mouth shut and regularly worked on planes, nobody
would have been suspicious.

My money is on him bragging to somebody who blew the whistle.

"Skylune" wrote in message
lkaboutaviation.com...

Newps:
"Having a hard time finding an engine? Lamest excuse ever. What do
you
expect is going to happen if you leave something valuable unattended
for
five years?"

Well, I guess calling a disabled plane parked at an airport while
awaiting
parts "unattended." Of course, I would take that to indicate there is
insufficient security, even though the EAA member/thief obviously had
acess to the facility. How in the heck can you steal an airplane
engine
with no one noticing a thing??? And then cutting a hole in the
fuelage to
steal the autopilot? This must have taken some time, and no one
noticed???

Hmmm... Northwest flies our of Waterloo, so I guess that makes it an air
carrier airport, not a GA airport.

That makes it the realm of the TSA, doesn't it?

"Skylune" wrote in message
lkaboutaviation.com...
From AV Web:
"Seneca Stripped While Parked

On Mon, 31 Oct 2005 15:08:16 -0500, "Skylune"
wrote:


Newps:
"Having a hard time finding an engine? Lamest excuse ever. What do you
expect is going to happen if you leave something valuable unattended for
five years?"

Well, I guess calling a disabled plane parked at an airport while awaiting
parts "unattended." Of course, I would take that to indicate there is
insufficient security, even though the EAA member/thief obviously had
acess to the facility. How in the heck can you steal an airplane engine
with no one noticing a thing??? And then cutting a hole in the fuelage to
steal the autopilot? This must have taken some time, and no one noticed???





Oh come on! If you park your car in your driveway, and someone breaks
into it and takes the radio, does that mean you have insufficient
security? I suppose if your standard for "sufficient" means that
nothing undesirable EVER happens, then yes, that's insufficient.

If, on the other hand, a case like this tends to make the news, then
that in itself might just point out that IT'S THE EXCEPTION!

Sheesh, how many cars were broken into last night? Stolen for
joyrides? How many homes? And is that making the headlines?

The reason this story is getting the coverage it is getting is because
it is an anomaly.

So perhaps what you can take from this is that GA security is so good
that when something like this actually happens it's so out of the
ordinary that it makes headlines. Yeah, sounds good to me.

Besides GA security just needs to be good enough for the airplane
owners at the airport to bo okay with it. What more is required?

Bill Strahan
------------
Find a new reason to fly
www.adventurepilot.com

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"Bill" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 31 Oct 2005 15:08:16 -0500, "Skylune"
wrote:

Sheesh, how many cars were broken into last night? Stolen for
joyrides? How many homes? And is that making the headlines?


Ever seen COPS?

---------------------------------------------
DW

Steve Foley:
"Hmmm... Northwest flies our of Waterloo, so I guess that makes it an air
carrier airport, not a GA airport.

That makes it the realm of the TSA, doesn't it?"

"Skylune" wrote in message
lkaboutaviation.com...
From AV Web:
"Seneca Stripped While Parked


I think that TSA just does passenger screening, etc. for the commercial
fliers, and the airport itself provides site security. So, at this
combined commercial/GA airport, I still think that security is
questionable.

Skylune wrote:
I think that TSA just does passenger screening, etc. for the commercial
fliers, and the airport itself provides site security. So, at this
combined commercial/GA airport, I still think that security is
questionable.

if I understand the story correctly, it was a guy that had
a legitimate reason to be there, i.e., an 'insider job'
so to speak; regardless of the setup, I mean airport,
commercial building, bank, gvt, even the White House it
seems, there isn't much you can do against someone already
in going bad...

--Sylvain