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A Los Angeles man was arrested after attempting to steal a plane from Van Nuys Airport early Thursday morning (December 18). Police said that 37-year-old Ceffareno Michael Logan allegedly entered the airport grounds around 5 a.m. and accessed a Cessna 172, a small aircraft used for flight training at the L.A. Flying Academy.
Logan managed to start the plane but crashed it into a hangar before it could take off. The crash caused damage to the aircraft's nose and wing, as well as the hangar wall. It remains unclear whether Logan was a student at the academy.
The incident prompted an investigation involving the FBI. Logan was arrested on suspicion of felony burglary and theft of an aircraft. He was booked into Van Nuys Jail with bail set at $150,000.
The flight school has not commented on the incident, and it is unclear if anyone was injured. The plane involved was used for training aspiring commercial and private pilots. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities working to determine the full circumstances surrounding the attempted theft.