Aircraft security

[N Harmon]

Here, and here.

A Cessna stolen from a Canadian flight school landed on a Missouri highway late today, after being pursued for hours across the Midwest by fighter jets ready to shoot it down if it was determined to be a threat.

This may be a good time to review how the CAP (or law enforcement or corporate) aircraft in your charge is secured against theft. Obviously nothing is full proof, but in a lot of these cases the key is left somewhere obvious like inside the cowl.

Having a CAP aircraft stolen and chased down somewhere, or worse used in an attack, would be a very hard thing for us to live down.

[bosshawk]

CAP has had aircraft stolen in the past.  I know of one 206 that wound up in Mexico, stripped of all the radios and seats except one.  Insurance company got it back and totalled it.

That is one reason that we have the radio stack locking devices in this state.  It also locks the throttle and prop controls.

Airplanes are easier to steal than cars.

[es_g0d]

On the whole (nationwide), I think avionics locks do more damage than they save avionics from theft.

I personally know of one avionics lock causing damage to an aircraft window, to the tune of $750.  I also have personal knowlege of a CAP airplane being stolen, replaced, and THEN subsequently severely vandalized.  That particular airplane was in a locked hangar: the thief had a key.

Airplanes, and their associated accoutrements, are not difficult to steal to a knowing person.  Thankfully, most knowing persons also have a conscience.  Make a person think twice, whether it be with an avionics lock, a locked hangar, or a monitored gate.  The bottom line is that if you make your target difficult, the dishonest person will pass your airplane by and move on to a softer target.  Ideally, you'll dissuade a dishonest person from any target at all.

The bottom line is that no level of security will prevent every incident; but a reasonable level of security will (not surprisingly) provide a reasonably low amount of risk.

[Flying Pig]

When I worked in Southern CA, we had a few incidents of GPS units being stolen out of aircraft.  Although the avionics lock is big, ugly and smelly, it hardens the target and would, in most cases send the dirtbag off to another aircraft.  You just need to be careful with them is all.  The biggest part of the locks CAP uses is that you just need to REALLY learn how to put it on and practice  few times before you solo it.

[Al Sayre]

^^ Yep, the running joke is:  "The FAA already told us you can fly, your real form 5 is whether or not you can install and remove the "Iron Maiden" without breaking something."

[caprr275]

Ohh come on every airplane needs a good chastity belt   

Thats why I love flying the G1000 no belt required

[RiverAux]

Obviously nothing is full proof, but in a lot of these cases the key is left somewhere obvious like inside the cowl.

If some CAP unit is keeping the key in or around the airplane like that, they need to find out what its like to be a flying unit without an airplane.  However, I just can't believe anyone in CAP would do that.

[sparks]

One solution to key security while assuring authorized access is to use a lock box One or near the hanger. A security box similar to those used by realtors and cars are simple to use. Any determined thief can defeat locked hangers, airplanes etc. but this solves the problem of who's got the key.

[davidsinn]

One solution to key security while assuring authorized access is to use a lock box One or near the hanger. A security box similar to those used by realtors and cars are simple to use. Any determined thief can defeat locked hangers, airplanes etc. but this solves the problem of who's got the key.

There is a wing out there that does put a lock box on the left tie down ring.

[SJFedor]

One solution to key security while assuring authorized access is to use a lock box One or near the hanger. A security box similar to those used by realtors and cars are simple to use. Any determined thief can defeat locked hangers, airplanes etc. but this solves the problem of who's got the key.

There is a wing out there that does put a lock box on the left tie down ring.

Multiple wings actually do that.

[PlaneFlyr]

One solution to key security while assuring authorized access is to use a lock box One or near the hanger. A security box similar to those used by realtors and cars are simple to use. Any determined thief can defeat locked hangers, airplanes etc. but this solves the problem of who's got the key.

There is a wing out there that does put a lock box on the left tie down ring.

We do that on several aircraft in Georgia.  It's especially good if you might have aircrew from another unit come to use the plane.  They know exactly where to find the key, without having to give them access to the building (unless you opt to give them that code too). 

[CASH172]

EDIT: didn't see some key words earlier. 

[Larry Mangum]

A lockbox is great, but not fool proof by any means. Once upon a time we where finishing up a  SAR EVAL and sending everyone home, when we noticed that we had a CAP aircraft on the ramp, and the keys to it, but the pilot who flew it over was no where to be found.  He had flown over a congressman and then went off base with the congressman to visit a local Guard unit. Since no one remembered that this had happened, we made sure the aircraft was properly secured and locked, took the keys, and went home ( 3 hrs away).  Well the Pilot comes back with the congressman, finds us all gone and has no keys.  So what does he do? He visits the local FBO and gets several spare keys from him, goes back to the aircraft, finds one that unlocks the aircraft and will work in the ignition.  He then preflights, loads up the congressman and flys home.  How was this possible, you might ask, well according to the wing maintenance officer and others, Cessna only makes like 5 different locks for all of its aircraft, thus allowing the pilot to use a bunch of spare keys to find one that would work.

Wither Cessna actually only makes 5 or so lock combinations I cannot say, but I do know that the story above is true as far as how the pilot got the aircraft home.

[sparks]

There are no security measures that are 100% successful unless armed guards are used. A determined thief can defeat many security measures. It is true that thieves will select the easiest or least secure target given a choice. IMHO the most effective security measure we have available is a locked hanger. The radio "chastity" plate and locked airplane add to that. Even so, there are no absolute guarantees, that's why we have insurance.

[bosshawk]

Larry: I have always heard the very same thing about Cessna, but I have also heard it about most auto companies.

I seem to recall that some say that locks only keep the honest person honest.  If one is really determined to steal something, he/she will, despite the best laid plans of mice and men(and CAP members).

[caprr275]

Cirrus are some what the same way with limited number of keys.

some aircraft such as the PA44 done even use keys at all, you just push a button and your going

[Eclipse]

Wither Cessna actually only makes 5 or so lock combination I cannot say, but I do know that the story above is true as far as how the pilot got the aircraft home.

Something similar happened to me - on an actual with a NOAA passenger a recently cut key that got us "there", decided it didn't want to get us "back".

As it happened we were on a ramp shared by one of the largest flight schools in the state.  We got their head mechanic and he came out with a ring of keys which we ran through until we found one that worked.

Its the same issue with cars, but these days a lot of them have chips which are mated to the ignition, making the duplicate key issue much more difficult to replicate - the key might open the doors, but it won't start the car.

[es_g0d]

And of course, we're discussing security vulnerabilities in an open forum.

A less than wise topic, IMHO, when given specific ideas to defeat security procedures such as locks.  Its better to keep such discussion in a secure venue.

[Rob Sherlin]

  Can a secondary "cut off" switch be installed in an aircraft? I have one in my truck (hidden), so even if they bypass the alarm, the club, etc., they still have to figure out why it wont start (even if they hotwire it). It's not total "anti-theft", but it sure makes it a big problem, and adds a lot of unwanted time and figuring things out to "would be" thieves.

[LtCol057]

You can put all the locks, alarms, bells and whistles you want to try to secure a plane, including a locked hangar, but if the stuff isn't used properly, it doesn't matter.   I've seen a plane parked on a ramp unsecured, doors unlocked.  When the pilot came back, approx 2 hours later, he said he didn't secure it completely because "I was only gonna be gone a couple of minutes".   At least he did take the key to the plane and put the chocks in place.   With that kind of attitude, he would never get my van or a key to my building without making a sizable cash deposit.