Secure your aircraft at all times.

[0TreeLemur]

Video from Fresno, showing a King Air 200 being driven around the ramp by a 17 year old girl who hopped the fence and decided to go for a drive.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/18/us/teenager-steals-plane-trnd/index.html

I don't think I could just climb into a King Air and get it started.  Flight sim experience or found a good online video?  A for effort, F for taxi skills.

[Ron McBride]

Fresno airport is well fenced, it is served by airliners.   She was very determined.   And to taxi a rain on one engine is a huge challenge.

Ron

[steingar]

I think starting an engine in one of those things is no easy task.  I strongly suspect drugs and/or alcohol were involved.  At least I hope so.

[Niko182]

22 minutes ago, steingar said:

I think starting an engine in one of those things is no easy task.  I strongly suspect drugs and/or alcohol were involved.  At least I hope so.

I doubt it. its not like the thing has a key to start it. You need to somewhat know what you're doing in order to be able to start it.

[ArtVandelay]

If this is new, it might be FADEC? I think new TBMs are easy to start as a car.


Tom

[CharlesHuddleston]

That's an expensive mess! Wonder who will foot the bill for that one? FBO? Owner? You know a 17 yr old is not going to be able to pay for the repairs... I'm constantly reminded at how frighteningly stupid at the actions of others can be. 

[N201MKTurbo]

She was stepping on the gas peddle and violently turning the steering wheel, but it still wouldn’t go straight!

[MooneyMitch]

I’m looking forward to the full story .

[kortopates]

That's an expensive mess! Wonder who will foot the bill for that one? FBO? Owner? You know a 17 yr old is not going to be able to pay for the repairs... I'm constantly reminded at how frighteningly stupid at the actions of others can be. 

Interesting question. I bet the owners insurance will first take care of the owner(s) right away and then go after the girls parents, since she’s a minor, and perhaps the FBO. Probably to be played out in court.


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[Jerry 5TJ]

The PT6A is easier to start than an IO-360.  

Apparently she didn’t read up on how to operate the brakes.  

[Unit74]

Most important question to be asked though:

 

 

can she logged it as PIC?

[Mooney in Oz]

7 hours ago, ArtVandelay said:

If this is new, it might be FADEC? I think new TBMs are easy to start as a car.


Tom

It's a King Air 200 so probably not FADEC.

Although these are not hard to start one would still need to know the method.

A few Youtube videos explain this method.

[RLCarter]

4 hours ago, Jerry 5TJ said:

The PT6A is easier to start than an IO-360.   

Everything is easier to start than an IO-360

[Jim Peace]

7 hours ago, CharlesHuddleston said:

Wonder who will foot the bill for that one? FBO? Owner? 

You, I and the rest of us will..........

[gsxrpilot]

You can't protect against all possible situations. At some point you just have to acknowledge that shit happens. And that's what we have insurance for. Even then, sometimes shit gets past insurance. And that's life. Nothing to see here.

Our car was totaled by a 17 year old girl who stole a car, ran a red light and hit us. Our insurance covered most of the cost, but there was still some left that we had to cover to get back into another car. A year or two later we were asked by the prosecutor if we wanted to press charges and try to get compensation from the girls parents. We declined. They've got enough shit to deal with and didn't need us piling on. At the end of the day, we move on. It cost a couple of grand, but easier for us than the poor parents who were struggling with a problematic daughter. 

Shit happens, and we didn't give it another thought. Life isn't fair, but that's life.

[SantosDumont]

At least she didn't get it in the air, that would have been much more tragic.

[thinwing]

7 hours ago, gsxrpilot said:

You can't protect against all possible situations. At some point you just have to acknowledge that shit happens. And that's what we have insurance for. Even then, sometimes shit gets past insurance. And that's life. Nothing to see here.

Our car was totaled by a 17 year old girl who stole a car, ran a red light and hit us. Our insurance covered most of the cost, but there was still some left that we had to cover to get back into another car. A year or two later we were asked by the prosecutor if we wanted to press charges and try to get compensation from the girls parents. We declined. They've got enough shit to deal with and didn't need us piling on. At the end of the day, we move on. It cost a couple of grand, but easier for us than the poor parents who were struggling with a problematic daughter. 

Shit happens, and we didn't give it another thought. Life isn't fair, but that's life.

That is very admirable but in this case the girls parents are liable for a probable 2 mil totaled kingair plus damage to the fbo building after the girls cell phone taught her how to start the Pratt.The parents are probably homesteading their house and transferring assets as we speak.

[amillet]

9 hours ago, gsxrpilot said:

You can't protect against all possible situations. At some point you just have to acknowledge that shit happens. And that's what we have insurance for. Even then, sometimes shit gets past insurance. And that's life. Nothing to see here.

Our car was totaled by a 17 year old girl who stole a car, ran a red light and hit us. Our insurance covered most of the cost, but there was still some left that we had to cover to get back into another car. A year or two later we were asked by the prosecutor if we wanted to press charges and try to get compensation from the girls parents. We declined. They've got enough shit to deal with and didn't need us piling on. At the end of the day, we move on. It cost a couple of grand, but easier for us than the poor parents who were struggling with a problematic daughter. 

Shit happens, and we didn't give it another thought. Life isn't fair, but that's life.

About 25 years ago something similar happened to me. A teenage foster child “borrowed “ his foster parents car late one night. In the ensuing joy ride being pursued by the police he failed to complete a left hand corner and hit the side of my office building, punching through the front wall and into the conference room.  Insurance took care of it.

[MrRodgers]

That's an expensive mess! Wonder who will foot the bill for that one? FBO? Owner? You know a 17 yr old is not going to be able to pay for the repairs... I'm constantly reminded at how frighteningly stupid at the actions of others can be. 

Her parents will most likely be held somewhat financially responsible seeing as she is still a minor.


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[GeeBee]

You can be pretty abusive to a PT-6 on the start and it will fire up. Maybe not within ITT limits, but It will start and run. If she got in and just put all the levers forward and hit the master and start switches it would light off, although I suspect maybe only one started because the other was further from the battery and could not get enough rotation. Don't forget, the engine was originally designed to power pumps and generators in the third world before it was an aircraft engine. It is pretty robust.

 

[Bravoman]

Generally speaking parents are not liable for the torts of minor children. There are some exceptions such as negligent entrustment or supervision but these are not species of vicarious liability but rather the direct negligence of the parent or guardian, and these theories only apply in very limited circumstances.