Have Aircraft Ever Been Stolen and Never Found?

Yes, aircraft have indeed been stolen and never found. These cases are often shrouded in mystery, with barely any trace left behind, raising questions about the complexities and challenges involved in locating such aircraft.

Notable Cases

One of the most well-known cases is Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which disappeared on March 8, 2014, while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Despite extensive search efforts, the main wreckage of the aircraft has never been located, and only a few pieces of debris have washed up on distant shores. This case exemplifies the difficulties in recovering missing aircraft.

Another example is a 1971 incident involving a Lockheed L-188 Electra, stolen by a group of hijackers. The aircraft was taken to Cuba and was eventually recovered, but it had been stripped of valuable parts and was never returned to service. This experience highlights the value and vulnerability of these aircraft.

Recent and Lesser-Known Cases

In more recent times, there have been cases of general aviation (GA) aircraft being stolen and never found, particularly Cessna 172 or 182 models. In a notable incident, such an aircraft was stolen from an FBO (Fixed Base Operator) airport and hasn't been found. Surveillance indicates that the thief may have flown the aircraft westbound over the Pacific, attempting to run out of fuel before crashing.

Historically, some GA aircraft were stolen to transport drugs across borders. Often, these aircraft would either be flown back to Mexico and burned, or burned on the ground where they were unloaded. Traces of these aircraft were rarely found, further complicating recovery efforts.

Specific Incident: Theft of a Boeing 727

On May 25, 2003, a Boeing 727-223 registered as N844AA was stolen at Quatro de Fevereiro Airport in Luanda, Angola. This case garnered significant attention as the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) launched a worldwide search.

According to reports, shortly before sunset, two men boarded the aircraft: an American pilot and flight engineer, Ben C. Padilla, and a hired mechanic from the Republic of the Congo, John M. Mutantu. Both men were not certified to fly a Boeing 727, which typically requires three aircrew. The aircraft began taxiing without communicating with the control tower and took off without clearance, heading southwest over the Atlantic Ocean before disappearing.

The aircraft was filled with 53,000 liters (14,000 US gallons) of fuel, providing it with a range of approximately 2,400 kilometers (1,500 miles, 1,300 nautical miles). Despite the extensive search efforts, neither the aircraft nor the two men have been found. Uniquely, no debris from the aircraft has been located in the ocean, making this case even more mysterious and challenging to resolve.

Keywords: stolen aircraft, disappeared aircraft, lost Boeing 727