Man Pleads Guilty To Stealing Military Truck And Illegally Landing Plane On Base (Twice)

A bizarre series of events took place at a southern California naval installation recently that has many scratching their heads. The story begins with an aviation hobbyist, 37-year-old Andrew Kyle White, who took to the skies in his small aircraft. This wasn't one of the most popular single-engine planes like a Cessna, it was instead a GlaStar airplane, which is built from a kit made up of hundreds of pieces. What could've been an uneventful flight in October of 2023, became anything but, as the San Diego man set his sights on San Clemente Island, which is owned by the U.S. Navy, some 65 miles off the coast of California.

He landed at a naval airstrip on the island. White then received what amounted to a warning in the form of a letter he was required to sign, which essentially stated that it's against federal law to go San Clemente Island without prior permission from the U.S. Navy. The letter then reminded the pilot not to come back to the area.

Not only did he go back less than a year later, but he upped the ante in terms of the number of crimes committed. Upon landing again on the restricted island, White then stole a nearby Ford F-150 belonging to the Navy, and proceeded to destroy several security gates. He then apparently got the truck stuck at some point, and began walking around until he was spotted on security cameras the following morning and apprehended.

San Clemente island is roughly 37,000acres of mountainous terrain. It might look fairly empty, but it's regularly used by the U.S. Navy. When this branch of the armed forces is working on new weapon systems, San Clemente Island is one of the places they do it. In fact, dating back to 1939, the first Landing Craft dubbed the "Higgins boat" was developed and tested there. These are the same craft many soldiers traveled on to reach the beaches during D-Day.

While the military doesn't want unauthorized personal anywhere near research and development operations, that isn't the most dangerous reason not to visit. Both the Navy and Marine Corps utilize the island for multi-threat warfare training. These include extensive ranges (more than 12 in total across the island), such as mine exercises, anti-submarine, and underwater training areas, among many others. For Andrew Kyle White, the most pressing issue would've been the fact that the airspace over the island is the Navy's most active. While many think of ships when the topic of naval forces comes up, there are several reasons the U.S. Navy has planes. So many planes in fact, this American military branch has the second largest air force in the world.

As of yet, White hasn't commented on his motives or motivations — though it's fair to assume he felt strongly about whatever he was trying to accomplish. He also needed to be placed in federal custody after he forcibly removed an ankle monitor he was required to wear. As of right now, he's staring down a possible decade long prison stint for stealing government property, and another six months for his unauthorized landing at a naval installation.

It isn't simply that White broke into a Navy facility, it's the rippling effects of his actions. For example, San Clemente Island went into a lockdown mode when White was discovered, because the Navy had no idea of his intent, or if he was alone. In total, it's approximated that White's stunt lost the Navy not only almost 500 hours of labor, but around half a million dollars.