A stolen single-engine aircraft crashed into a hangar at Van Nuys Airport early on Dec. 18, prompting an FBI investigation and reigniting security concerns among local residents and experts.
Los Angeles Airport Police officers arrested Ceffareno Michael Logan on suspicion of aircraft theft.
Officers said the suspect broke into the LA Flight Academy around 4 a.m. on the airport’s west‑side area, known as “Prop Park,” accessed a Cessna 172, and soon after crashed the aircraft nose‑first into a hangar near Balboa Boulevard.
Anthony Nercessian, owner of the LA Flight Academy, told a local news agency the stolen aircraft appeared to be taxiing when its left wing struck the hangar, causing the plane to turn sharply and collide with the building. The propeller was damaged, and the engine is no longer operational. Nercessian added that a Porsche parked inside the hangar was also damaged.
“I’m glad it ended this way, with no casualties,” Nercessian said, adding that the suspect broke through the front door and located the aircraft keys.
A History of Security Breaches
This is not the first unauthorized intrusion at Van Nuys Airport. For the past decade, there have been multiple security breaches involving perimeter incursions, resulting in car chases, damaged aircraft, vandalism, operational disruptions and public safety concerns.
The Dec. 18 incident has reignited concerns over airport security, with both experts and local residents criticizing the current administration in charge of the airport operator, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA). In 2016, Councilmember Bob Blumenfield filed a motion requesting airport officials appear before council to explain the series of security breaches, including a man crashing his vehicle through the airport fence and crashing into a plane.
A response from LAWA does not appear on the file in the City’s Council File Management System as of publication. Blumenfield could not be reached for comment prior to publication.
In 2020, LAPD confirmed another vehicle broke through an airport fence, led police on a chase across airport grounds and crashed through a second fence before stopping at Woodley and Saticoy.
“[The Dec. 18] incident is another incident proving the current administration in charge of LAWA isn’t ready to take appropriate steps to increase public safety,” said Marshall McClain, president of the LA Airport Peace Officers Association (LAAPOA).
He also warned of the potential dangers ahead: “If the upcoming FIFA, Olympics Games, and millions of passengers coming to LA haven’t sparked better security, I don’t know what will.”
Residents in surrounding areas, including Lake Balboa, have echoed these concerns.
“While no barrier is perfect, the current short masonry and chain-link fencing is far too easy to scale and fails to provide meaningful mitigation,” said Suzanne Gutierrez, co-founder of Fumefighters United VNY. “We need reinforced gates and 12 to 15 foot barrier walls … around the entire airport’s perimeter to deter breaches [and] better protect the airport and its neighbors.”
Years of Warnings Go Unanswered
Despite years of criticism, the airport continues to rely on fencing that experts and residents say is easily compromised and offers no mitigation benefit.
In the wake of the recent incident, residents are again calling for City Council action, in particular regarding a proposed 15-foot mitigation wall along Hayvenhurst Avenue.
“If the airport were acting responsibly, it would approve the 15-foot mitigation wall proposed in January and use that decision as a model for completing similar protections around the entire perimeter,” said Cathy Perenchio, a Lake Balboa resident.
The airport highlighted the quick response, with LAXPD providing official statements to the media, including that they “immediately responded and took the subject into custody.”