Not exactly ‘The Great Escape’; 2 teens from northern Utah group home arrested after stealing plane

Photo used for illustrative purposes only. Fixed-wing aircraft in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, July 24, 2016 | Photo by Lestocq via Wikimedia Commons, St. George News

VERNAL (AP) — Sheriff’s deputies arrested two teenage boys they say stole a small airplane at a private airstrip in rural eastern Utah and flew about 15 miles before landing successfully at Vernal Regional Airport.

The Deseret News reported the 14- and 15-year-old boys stole the single-engine Cessna Thursday from a private airstrip in Jensen along U.S. Highway 40 about 15 miles west of the Colorado line.

The Uintah County sheriff’s office said they left a group home earlier this week and were staying with friends in the Jensen area. They apparently gained access to a tractor and drove to the airstrip, where they took off in the plane and were spotted flying low along US 40 near Gusher.

They were arrested at the airport and being held Thursday at the Split Mountain Youth Detention Center in Vernal.

Written by The Associated Press.

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5 Comments

  • r2d2 November 23, 2018 at 8:09 pm

    You really should use a stock image of at least a Cessna. The aircraft you show is a home built Merlin single seat. I’m glad they were able to land OK.

  • Whiz November 23, 2018 at 8:39 pm

    Would this be another case of someone being adept at a computer program, i.e., Seattle, WA?

  • KR567 November 24, 2018 at 7:38 am

    considering that is NOT a Cessna it seems to me that St George news just committed FAKE NEWS

    • Avatar photo Paul Dail November 24, 2018 at 9:43 am

      KR567, thanks for the observation. Note the photo caption.

      Paul Dail
      Editor in chief

  • Larry November 24, 2018 at 9:21 am

    I guess we should ban the sale of Computer Flight Simulator Programs…and tractors.

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