Florida student pilot pleads guilty to stealing plane from Perry Airport

MACON – A student pilot stole a private plane from the Perry-Houston County Airport hangar, flying it to North Carolina and back. Now, he faces up to 10 years in prison for his crime, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia.

According to court documents, Rufus Crane, 27, of Coconut Creek, Florida, stole a Bonanza A-36 aircraft on May 4, 2024. According to a Department of Justice media release, he did not have the required lawful flying credentials. 

Crane took the single-engine aircraft and flew it to the JAARS-Townsend Airport in Waxhaw, N.C. landing at approximately 12:42 a.m. on May 4. He then departed from North Carolina on May 5 at approximately 3:14 a.m. 

After stopping in South Carolina to attempt to refuel, he began a return flight to Perry in the stolen aircraft. When Crane arrived in Perry at approximately 5:47 a.m., he could not land safely because the area was too foggy to see the runway. 

He operated the aircraft under Instrument Flight Rules, meaning he used the aircraft’s instruments and navigation aids instead of visual cues to fly the plane, according to the media release. 

Because of the fog, Crane flew to Cochran Municipal Airport, where he refueled before landing the stolen aircraft back in Perry at approximately 11 a.m. on May 5. He returned the plane to the hangar.

At the time of these flights, in addition to not having permission to fly the stolen aircraft, Crane only held a Student Pilot Certificate. The media release said he had not received the proper endorsements required to fly alone or operate the specific make and model of the plane. During these flights, he kept the transponder of the Bonanza off, which meant the plane did not send signals to air traffic control to provide information on its location, altitude, and speed.

Crane pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transportation of stolen aircraft on June 11, according to the media release. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for September 17. 

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Perry Police Department with assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Captain James Jones with the Perry Police Department provided comments on the case:

“The theft and unauthorized operation of an aircraft is not just a property crime—it’s a serious

threat to public safety,” he said. “Mr. Crane’s reckless actions placed countless lives at risk across multiple states. I’m proud of the investigative work done by Perry Police Detective Ike Wilcox and thankful for the strong collaboration with our federal partners to bring this case to justice.”