Monday, September 4, 2017

Missing Plane For Monday Mystery...!

Time to get back on some sort of schedule here at the Hermit's house.

Slowly things are getting back to (semi) normal here. I figured I'm better off trying to stay busy instead of sitting around fretting over things I can't control. So anyway, here is a little case of another missing plane for Monday mystery, OK?

N844AA



Photo credit: Mike Gabriel

On May 25, 2003, a Boeing 727, registered as N844AA, was stolen from Quatro de Fevereiro Airport in Angola. Shortly before sunset, two men boarded the aircraft: American pilot Ben Padilla and mechanic John Mutantu. Neither were certified to fly the 727, which normally flies with a flight crew of three. It is believed that Padilla was the one at the controls. The aircraft made its way onto the runway without clearance and without communicating with the control tower. With its lights switched off and a few erratic maneuvers, the plane thundered down the runway and took off, heading southwest over the ocean.

Since then, neither the two men nor the aircraft have been seen. The disappearance of N844AA prompted a worldwide search by the FBI and the CIA. Despite this, no trace of the aircraft has ever been found.

Ya know, I can't help but wonder why these guys stole this plane. Did they have a buyer for it, were they planning to use it to run drugs, maybe as a get away vehicle in some bizarre robbery. It does make you wonder.

Coffee out on the patio this morning. Cooler out there than inside, since the AC is still out.
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7 comments:

  1. UnknownSeptember 4, 2017 at 6:26 AM

    Does make one wonder. I'm guessing it probably went down somewhere 'cuz kinda hard to hide a 727, doncha think, although stranger things have happened. See, I'm wondering and speculating already. Hope you can get your ac fixed. 52 here right now. Love you, Bubba.

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  2. HermitJimSeptember 4, 2017 at 8:06 AM

    Hey B...
    Hard not to speculate on it. On the AC, you and I are sure hoping I get it fixed soon. 83 inside this morning and the same on the patio. All the service guys are swamped right now, which I can understand.
    Thanks for stopping by today!

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  3. RobSeptember 4, 2017 at 8:24 AM

    There was a story published in 2005 by W.E.B. Griffin, "By Order of the President" that was centered around an airliner stolen from Africa.
    I enjoyed the story but never really thought about it having any basis in fact.
    http://www.webgriffin.com/books_ByOrderOfThePresident.html

    On a personal level I hope your journey back to "normal" goes well!

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  4. deb harveySeptember 4, 2017 at 8:40 AM

    wonder if the pilot was forced at gunpoint.

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  5. HermitJimSeptember 4, 2017 at 12:12 PM

    Hey Rob...
    They say that all fiction has a kernel of truth. I can believe that!
    Thanks for coming over today!


    Hey Deborah...
    Actually, a pilot was one of the two thieves.
    Thanks for coming over today!

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  6. Dizzy-DickSeptember 5, 2017 at 10:43 AM

    Maybe it crashed into the ocean and sank to the bottom never to be seen again.

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  7. Andolphus GreySeptember 5, 2017 at 11:27 AM

    It does make one wonder. Was it used to transport drugs and get abandoned on some jungle air strip somewhere? Crash in the ocean? Get broken down for parts? The imagination boggles.

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