Jared Ostello, a pilot and aircraft mechanic, was working at Sonoma County Airport on Sunday morning when his peaceful day took an unexpected turn. While out near the tarmac, Ostello witnessed a man unexpectedly jump into an aircraft.
“He closed the door, and I saw all the lights start coming on one by one. That’s when I realized I had to act quickly to get him out before he caused any damage,” Ostello recalled. He discovered the unidentified man was just one button away from successfully starting the plane.
Acting swiftly, Ostello managed to remove the man from the aircraft. However, the man stood still for a moment before bolting down the runway toward a hangar filled with numerous other planes.
“I was thinking, oh no. I wanted him to run the other way, but he just took off toward the airplanes, and I thought, oh no,” said Ostello.
Once inside the hangar, the man attempted to steal a second plane owned by Ostello’s boss, Robert Nicolas. Ostello, who had followed closely behind, stopped him once again. He quickly called airport authorities, but the man managed to escape.
“He was looking up at the clouds, sniffing and grunting. He just kind of stood there for a second before running off,” Ostello described.
Airport officials told ABC7 News they believe the suspect gained access to the grounds through a hole in a chain-link fence, which has been under renovation for the past couple of weeks.
“This was a momentary issue. The fence will be fully upgraded in the next two weeks to prevent this from happening again. We also conduct regular patrols of the perimeter,” said Jon Stout, the Sonoma County Airport Manager.
Nicolas expressed that he doesn’t blame the airport for the incident but praised Ostello for his quick actions that averted a potential disaster. “The guy had shoved the throttle and fuel forward, and he had the master on. If he had hit the starter, he could have caused about $300,000 worth of damage to the engine,” Nicolas noted.
The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office is actively working to identify the man and is seeking public assistance in the matter. Meanwhile, Ostello is relieved that no one was hurt and that he can continue flying the planes safely.
“I just knew I had to do something, and that’s what I did. I feel like I did the best thing I could possibly do,” he stated.
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