In a rare and bold incident that stunned aviation authorities, a man in Canada stole a small aircraft from Victoria International Airport and flew it without authorization—22 years after a similar but far more mysterious aviation theft shocked the world.
According to CNN, the man, whose identity has not been revealed, stole a Cessna 172—a small aircraft typically used for flight training—and flew it about 40 miles north to Vancouver International Airport, one of Canada’s busiest. The incident forced air traffic controllers to temporarily restrict movements in the airspace.
Audio from the control tower captured the urgency of the situation as the stolen plane approached:
“We do have an aircraft that has been stolen and is in the vicinity of the airport,” one controller told pilots. “Just in case anything starts heading towards you, you have the ability to move at your discretion.”
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Though the thief reportedly lacked flying experience and circled the airport for some time, he managed to land the aircraft safely. Police officers were already waiting and arrested him immediately upon landing. He was the only person on board.
A Haunting Parallel: Angola’s Missing Boeing 727
This latest incident echoes a mystifying case from 2003, when two men stole a Boeing 727 from Luanda International Airport in Angola. The aircraft, which had previously been operated by American Airlines, was parked and unused after plans to convert it were abandoned.
On May 25, 2003, an American pilot and a mechanic boarded the plane, fueled it with 14,000 gallons, and took off without clearance. Despite global efforts to trace the plane, it disappeared without a trace. Neither the aircraft nor the men on board have ever been found.
The event remains one of the great aviation mysteries of modern history.
Aviation Security Under Scrutiny
While the recent Canadian theft ended without casualties or damage, it has raised fresh questions about the vulnerability of aircraft at secured airports and the ease with which unauthorized individuals can gain access.
Though the two incidents are decades apart and differ in scale, both highlight ongoing concerns about airport security, flight school aircraft management, and how breaches still occur despite modern surveillance and control systems.
