Man pleads guilty after landing private plane on Navy island airstrip, triggering lockdown at San Clemente Island

A San Diego man pleaded guilty to theft of government property and illegal entry after landing his privately owned GlaStar plane on the U.S. Navy’s airstrip on San Clemente Island, triggering a complete lockdown at the remote base. The incident marked a second in five months in which a private aircraft landed on the island without authorization and disrupted security procedures. The first incident occurred Oct. 29, 2023, after which he acknowledged a federal crime notice and was instructed not to return.

On April 6, Andrew Kyle White, 37, flew the plane to the island, landed without permission, and then stole a white Ford F-150 pickup truck owned by the Navy. He drove to restricted areas, smashed through locked gates, and left the vehicle in an unpaved area, prompting officials to declare a base-wide lockdown as personnel searched for him. The incident occurred at San Clemente Island, located about 63 miles off the coast of San Diego, an active Navy training and weapons testing site that has been owned by the service since 1937.

Prosecutors described the episode as an uncontrolled security incident that forced a hazardous, overnight search across rough terrain for White as officials assessed potential threats. Capt. L. M. Jacobi, commanding officer of Naval Base Coronado, said the operation occurred under dangerous conditions as personnel combed multiple historic bombing ranges that have not been swept for unexploded ordnance. “Whatever [White’s] intentions were, the military did not know them,” prosecutors wrote in court documents, and the island went on a “complete lockdown” as authorities evaluated the risk.

The lockdown was costly. Navy officials estimated roughly 500 man-hours were spent securing the base and searching the island, resulting in about $500,000 in losses. The search extended into difficult terrain, where crews faced factors such as inclement weather and the possibility of unexploded ordnance in restricted zones.

White’s defense argued that his actions stemmed from curiosity rather than malicious intent. His attorneys said he acknowledged his misjudgment and asked the court to consider time served. They noted he understands the gravity of his actions and has accepted responsibility. Prosecutors, by contrast, are seeking a sentence that would include a prison term plus supervised release. The government’s sentencing memo called for a six-month term in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release, with White agreeing to avoid San Clemente Island, surrender the GlaStar aircraft, and forgo renewing or using his pilot’s license as part of the arrangement.

White’s sentencing hearing was scheduled for Sept. 29 before U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II.

San Clemente Island has been owned by the Navy since 1937 and lies approximately 68 nautical miles west of San Diego. At 57 square miles, it is the Navy’s only remaining live-fire range and serves as a site for weapon-system development and Pacific Fleet training. The island’s rugged, remote terrain and surrounding restricted zones complicate security and search operations, especially during events that disrupt normal base activity.