Raymond Daniel, a pilot from Georgia, had a disappointing end to his weekend trip to Nashville when his plane was broken into and robbed. Despite paying for a service to watch over his plane while he was away, the airport did not provide much assistance when he discovered the theft. When Daniel and his wife returned to John C. Tune Airport, they found that their Beech 24 Sierra had been broken into along with several other planes. Navigation equipment worth $12,000 had been stolen from their aircraft.
Daniel explained that when they discovered the stolen equipment, the airport staff did not seem surprised as they had already found four other planes that had been broken into. The airport informed the couple that they had footage of a suspect climbing the fence, but Daniel’s plane was not within the camera’s view. Despite paying for the Contour service to watch over his aircraft, Daniel and his wife were left to deal with the situation on their own without much assistance from the airport other than being offered a sandwich.
Although the stolen equipment was a significant loss, Daniel, being a skilled aviator, managed to fly the 275-mile journey back home without radio or navigation aids. Through memory and special clearance from the air traffic control team at the Poole Farm Airport in Georgia, he was able to safely make the journey back home. The airport authority later identified a suspect in the theft who was arrested in Missouri, but the stolen aviation equipment has not yet been recovered.
Despite the suspect being caught, the Daniels are still waiting for their expensive aviation equipment to be returned. Neither Contour nor the Airport Authority responded to requests for comment on the situation. The theft of valuable equipment from Daniel’s plane highlights the need for improved security measures at airports and for better support for pilots who become victims of theft. The incident left the couple feeling frustrated and disappointed with the lack of assistance provided by the airport authorities after the theft occurred.
