Hijacked N number

ScottM

ScottM

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iBazinga!
I just got an email that someone filed a flight plan using my N-number. My plane is safe and secure in northern Illinois. I see a radar track for the plan as it flew from KGKY to KSEP.

I called LM FSS and they stated that they never talked to anyone with that N-number and I blew in a call to the FSDO but all I got so far was vmail.

Any other ideas on what I should do?
 
smigaldi said:
I just got an email that someone filed a flight plan using my N-number. My plane is safe and secure in northern Illinois. I see a radar track for the plan as it flew from KGKY to KSEP.

I called LM FSS and they stated that they never talked to anyone with that N-number and I blew in a call to the FSDO but all I got so far was vmail.

Any other ideas on what I should do?
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Keep quiet just in case you need an alibi for yesterday?
 
Greg Bockelman said:
Why are you concerned?
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The guy is a crappy pilot an cannot hold altitude to save his life. I would hate to get a letter stating *I* deviated from and ATC clearance (although it looks like he might have been VFR). Also if he breaks any rules of TFRs they would come after me since I am the registered owner. That would be a hassle.
 
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smigaldi said:
The guy is a crappy pilot and cannot hold altitude to save his life. I would hate to get a letter stating *I* deviated from and ATC clearence (although it looks like he might have been VFR). Also if he breaks any rules of TFRs they would come after me since I am the registrered owner. That would be a hassle.
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That's probably why he doesn't use his own number.
 
This happened to me a couple of years back. I got a text message on my cell phone through Flight Explorer and I proceeded to race to the airport to my tie-down only to find my aircraft sitting exactly as I left it. I called the Tracon and like you, was told that they did not handle my tail number.

It could be a glitch or manual error in the interface with the flight tracking company. There's not much you can do about it. Come to think of it, if someone decided to use your N-number departing a non-towered airport, they would not and could be questioned at all unless something really bad happened.

Marco
 
smigaldi said:
I just got an email that someone filed a flight plan using my N-number. My plane is safe and secure in northern Illinois. I see a radar track for the plan as it flew from KGKY to KSEP.

I called LM FSS and they stated that they never talked to anyone with that N-number and I blew in a call to the FSDO but all I got so far was vmail.

Any other ideas on what I should do?
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Yes...nothing...I see misspelled (or mistyped) N numbers from time to time...Could be a transposed number...
 
smigaldi said:
I just got an email that someone filed a flight plan using my N-number. My plane is safe and secure in northern Illinois. I see a radar track for the plan as it flew from KGKY to KSEP.

I called LM FSS and they stated that they never talked to anyone with that N-number and I blew in a call to the FSDO but all I got so far was vmail.

Any other ideas on what I should do?
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That's weird, I've never heard of anyone doing that...hope he didn't fly off without paying for fuel or tiedown/hangar.

Would a person that hijacked an N-number use the same type of aircraft as yours? If you knew arrival time, could you call the FBO? Maybe the person working the desk could make the connection...


Trapper John
 
If it's just once, I'd say it was a mistake.

You know the saying: once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, but three times is a pattern.
 
Trapper John said:
That's weird, I've never heard of anyone doing that...hope he didn't fly off without paying for fuel or tiedown/hangar.

Would a person that hijacked an N-number use the same type of aircraft as yours? If you knew arrival time, could you call the FBO? Maybe the person working the desk could make the connection...


Trapper John
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I did call the FBO. He told that a turquoise cherokee was there about the time this plane landed but did buy any fuel. He has since left. I looked at the airport he departed from to see if there was a plane based there that had a similar number. There is one that was close but ended with an A instead of a B.

My plane is still in the hangar so at least I know it is not stolen

I did just talk to an ops inspector and she created a record of our call. She wants me to just wants me to document everything for now. If it happens again she will open up an investigation.
 
I got a bill once from the NJ Port Authority for a landing fee on a day when I was in Florida at an aerobatic contest in that same plane. A simple call stating that "it wasn't me" was enough for them to reverse the charge. Now, you're doing the same thing I did when that happened. You're going "Hmmmmm......"
 
It's probably nothing, or something benign, like a guy meeting his mistress and his wife knows how to track him.

I still think Flightaware is a little creepy, though - sometimes there's just too much information available...


Trapper John
 
I'd keep note of it, but not be worried.

Sometimes people make mistakes. I've picked up flight following and had them screw up my tail number, and insist on keeping that screw-up through different controllers (even after I explain it was entered incorrectly). If the person filed a flight plan it's a little different, but you and your plane are safe and sound, and you have evidence of that. If it comes back to you, then you can just point to "it wasn't me."

If it becomes a habit, then yes, that would be a problem, but I'd not be too concerned about that.
 
Frequently when we have flight following, ATC transposes a couple of numbers. I guess that 'seven' and 'zero' sound very much alike. Usually we correct it when we hear it, only to have the next controller use the exact same transposition. I think they don't correct the record. Now, I say "four three zero <long pause> seven romeo" and still they get it backward.
 
Like other have mentioned it could be something as innocent as either the pilot or FSS transposing numbers when the flight plan was filed. They don't double check to see that the N-number matches the aircraft type.

As far as FlightAware goes, I used to think it was really creepy but I have become accustomed to it.
 
That reminds me... Someone used Mike's N number a couple months ago:

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N284M/history/20090121/1934Z/KOKC/KRVS

For a 152, too. What an insult! :rofl:

Most people just hijack N12345:

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N12345/history

Since the beginning of the year, N12345 has been:

* A Cessna 150 (/A, /T), 152/T, 172 (/A, /F, /G, /T, /X), 182/A, and 210 (/G, /T, /W)
* A Twin Cessna 404/G and 421/G
* A Beech BE23/A and BE35/G
* A Mooney M20P (/G and /T) and MO20/A
* A Piper Archer (/A and /G), Arrow /A, and Navajo /A
* A Challenger 300, /L
* A Boeing 737 /Q
* TEST/A

:rofl:
 
smigaldi said:
The guy is a crappy pilot an cannot hold altitude to save his life. I would hate to get a letter stating *I* deviated from and ATC clearance (although it looks like he might have been VFR). Also if he breaks any rules of TFRs they would come after me since I am the registered owner. That would be a hassle.
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Hey! That's a good idea! I'll have to remember this one!!! ;-)
 
If I were gonna use any phony tail number on a 152, it would be N524UA. That way, there's no doubt.


:)
 
I jumped the first time I saw one of my N#s misused like this too...but then got used to it - its pretty common.
The whole flightaware system is full of errors.... like impossible changes in altitude etc.
 
mikea said:
Holy S!!!

I guess I need to check the mailbox more often for nastygrams from the feds.
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Mike I have flighaware set up so that I get email and SMS alerts when a flight plan is filled with my n-number. I did this to make sure that when I used DUATS to file that I got a confirm the plan was in the system. There was an issue for a while where not all FPs were getting into the system.

Taht feature also alerted me to this issue.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
I jumped the first time I saw one of my N#s misused like this too...but then got used to it - its pretty common.
The whole flightaware system is full of errors.... like impossible changes in altitude etc.
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I am not so sure this was a flgithaware issue. I think it was a TRACON error. IT looks like the guy just picked up FF in the air, I'll bet that the controller put in the wrong N-number and never updated it.
 
Everskyward said:
As far as FlightAware goes, I used to think it was really creepy but I have become accustomed to it.
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I think it's cool. It's certainly quite neat to be able to have someone who you're flying to figure out about when you're going to land. That has worked for me a number of times.
 
smigaldi said:
Ditto. I use it to decide when to leave for ORD to pick up someone.
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I was thinking smaller planes. Like when Tony saw that I turned back to Ames after his party, and was waiting for me at the airport. :)

But yes, it's also very nifty for commercial flights.
 
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