LAAPOA and Residents Criticize LAWA Over Security Failures After Stolen Plane Crashes at Van Nuys Airport
SoCalNewswire - December 20, 2025
VAN NUYS, Calif. — 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 said a suspect broke into the L.A. Flight Academy around 4 a.m. in 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. Officers arrested Ceffareno Michael Logan on Thursday on suspicion of aircraft theft.
Anthony Nercessian, owner of the L.A. Flight Academy, told NBC4 in an interview Thursday that 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.
The flight school owner told NBC4 that the suspect broke through the front door and located the aircraft keys. Google Maps Street View imagery depicts this airport area as accessible to the public.
A History of Security Breaches at Van Nuys Airport
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.
In 2016, Councilmember Bob Blumenfield filed a motion (CF 16-0424) requesting airport officials to appear before council to explain the series of security breaches at VNY—including a man crashing his vehicle through the airport fence, driving across the tarmac, and crashing into a plane. The motion requested a report back and corrective action plan from the airport operator, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA). A response from LAWA does not appear in the file on the City’s Council File Management System as of publication. The City Council motion expired in 2019; Blumenfield could not be reached for comment prior to publication.
In 2020, LAPD confirmed another vehicle broke through a fence at the airport, led police on a chase across airport grounds, and crashed through a second fence before stopping on a busy street at Woodley and Saticoy.
Growing Criticism of Airport Security
The Dec. 18 incident has reignited concerns over airport security, with both experts and local residents criticizing the current administration in charge.
In an email statement on Dec. 19, Marshall McClain, President of the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association, emphasized that the recent breach highlights systemic issues. “Yesterday’s incident is another incident proving the current administration in charge of LAWA isn’t ready to take appropriate steps to increase public safety. As an organization, we are traveling in reverse, lowering security standards and replacing sworn officers with security guards to save costs, at a time when we need more trained staff and better technology,” McClain said.
He also warned of the potential dangers ahead: “If the upcoming FIFA, Olympics Games, and millions of passengers coming to L.A. haven’t sparked better security, I don’t know what will.”
Residents of surrounding areas, including Lake Balboa, have echoed these concerns. Some say that Van Nuys Airport's perimeter security remains inadequate, citing the airport's short masonry and chain-link fencing as too easily breached.
Suzanne Gutierrez, co-founder of Fumefighters United VNY, stated, “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. We need reinforced gates and 12–15 foot barrier walls—similar to the proposal for Hayvenhurst—around the entire airport’s perimeter to deter breaches, improve the aesthetic 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 offering no mitigation benefit. In a 2016 post McClain and the LAAPOA warned about recurring security issues at both LAX and VNY, accusing LAWA of not taking sufficient action. “To date, and multiple incidents later, our recommendations have gone unanswered by airport management,” McClain said at the time. “What is it going to take for airport management to address this vulnerability?!”
In the wake of the recent incident, residents are again calling for City Council action, particularly regarding the proposed 15-foot mitigation wall along Hayvenhurst Avenue as an initial step. “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, citing both security and mitigation benefits.
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."