Stolen Plane Crashes Into Hangar at Van Nuys Airport; Suspect Arrested

A stolen single-engine Cessna crashed into a hangar at Van Nuys Airport in the pre-dawn hours Thursday after a suspect allegedly broke into the building and hijacked the aircraft, authorities said. The Los Angeles Airport Police reported the incident began around 4 a.m. when the suspect trespassed a private leasehold and gained access to a Cessna aircraft, leading to the crash about an hour later. The single-engine plane, a Cessna C172, struck the hangar at approximately 5 a.m., leaving a large hole in the structure. Investigators said the plane never left the ground.

The suspect has been identified as 37-year-old Ceffeareno Logan, who was arrested on suspicion of burglary and theft of an aircraft. LAX Police told Fox News Digital that Logan trespassed a private leasehold and onto Van Nuys general aviation airport, gaining access to a Cessna aircraft and causing damage to adjacent infrastructure. The FBI Los Angeles field office confirmed that federal agents responded to the scene. Photos from the crash site show the Cessna's propeller damaged and the plane moved into the hangar for investigation. It remained unclear whether authorities were searching for additional suspects.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the aircraft involved was a single-engine Cessna C172. KTLA reported investigators believe the plane struck the hangar while taxiing, rather than taking off. Sky Fox video showed the wrecked aircraft with a damaged propeller inside the hangar. Van Nuys Airport, a general aviation airport operated by Los Angeles World Airports, remained closed to commercial air traffic on Thursday as investigators gathered evidence. The case is being investigated by local police with federal assistance from the FBI, and the FAA is expected to review airframe data as part of the inquiry. No injuries were reported in initial statements, and authorities cautioned that the investigation is ongoing.

Van Nuys Airport is a general aviation facility operated by Los Angeles World Airports. The investigation is led by local police with federal involvement from the FBI and the FAA as authorities review security and the sequence of events surrounding the incident. Officials said there is no immediate information on a motive and emphasized that the investigation is ongoing. No details were provided about potential charges beyond burglary and theft of an aircraft, and authorities did not indicate whether additional suspects were involved at this time.