Man’s Private Plane Repeatedly Stolen For Joyrides, Then Repaired, By Unknown Stranger

Here’s one you don’t see every day. A baffling aviation mystery has left 75-year-old Jason Hong both confused and frustrated: an unknown stranger has repeatedly stolen his plane, flown it without incident, landed it flawlessly — and even repaired it, according to Local 12.

Hong told the Los Angeles Times the saga began when he first noticed the plane was gone. „I got confused,” he recalled. „I thought, 'did I park it somewhere else, did the airport manager move it?’ But I looked all over.” Two days later, the aircraft turned up about 25 miles away, unscathed except for some cigarette butts in the cabin.

The Local 12 report says that, determined to prevent a repeat theft, Hong removed the battery and planned to check back the following weekend.

But when he returned, the plane was missing again — this time found 18 miles from the thief’s first landing spot. Even stranger, the battery had been replaced with a new one.

Using a flight-tracking app, Hong discovered that both joyrides occurred on his 75th birthday. With no security cameras at the airports, authorities have been unable to identify the culprit.

Hong suspects the thief has significant flying experience, noting that „landing is not easy” and replacing a plane’s battery requires specialized tools and knowledge. He estimates the intruder spent hundreds of dollars on the new battery, tools, and even a headset found in the cockpit.

„Someone breaks into your house, they’re looking for jewelry or cash right?” Hong said. „But in this case, what’s the purpose? It’s like someone breaks my window, and then they put a new one up.”

One pilot at the second airport claimed to have seen a woman in her 40s or 50s sitting in the cockpit rather than in the lounge. Hong has now chained the aircraft in place until a full inspection can be completed.