ATLANTA – A student pilot has pleaded guilty in federal court in Macon to stealing a private plane from an airport in Perry and flying it to North Carolina and back.
Rufus Crane, 27, of Coconut Creek, Fla., faces up to 10 years in prison on one count of interstate transportation of stolen aircraft. He also could receive up to three years of supervised release following his prison term and a maximum fine of $250,000.
According to court documents and testimony, Crane stole a Bonanza A-36 aircraft and – without the required flying credentials – flew it to an airport in Waxhaw, N.C., last month. After stopping to refuel in South Carolina, he headed back toward Perry.
However, he could not land safely because fog in the area was too heavy for him to see the runway. Instead, he flew to an airport in Cochran, where he refueled before landing the stolen aircraft back in Perry. Because of the fog, Crane operated the aircraft using instruments and navigation aids instead of visual cues.
In addition to not having permission to fly the aircraft, Crane possessed only a student pilot certificate. During the flights, which took place in the middle of the night, he kept the plane’s transponder turned off, so the plane did not send signals to air traffic controllers to provide information on the aircraft’s location, altitude, and speed.
“The defendant put his own life and the lives of others at risk, despite not being fully trained or holding a pilot’s license,” Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker said Wednesday. “The regulations governing our nation’s airspace are designed to ensure the safety of everyone. Those who disregard federal law will be held accountable.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Perry Police Department with assistance from the Federal Aviation Commission.
Crane is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 17.