A former student pilot from Houston County was sentenced on Wednesday to over a year in federal prison for stealing an aircraft and flying it across state lines.
Rufus Crane pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transportation of a stolen aircraft after taking a Bonanza A-36 from the Perry-Houston County Airport during the night of May 3, 2024. He flew the stolen plane into the early hours of May 4, disabling the aircraft’s transponder to avoid detection by air traffic control systems.
According to court records, Crane flew from Perry, Georgia, to JAARS-Townsend Airport in Waxhaw, North Carolina. He then stopped at an airport in South Carolina to refuel before attempting to return the aircraft. Due to heavy fog near the Perry airport, he was unable to land safely and instead diverted to Cochran Municipal Airport. Once the weather cleared, Crane returned the aircraft to its original hangar.
He was sentenced to one year and one day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In addition, Crane was ordered to pay $875 in restitution to the Perry-Houston County Airport.
The case drew attention for its unusual nature and the potential dangers involved in unauthorized flight across state lines.
