Vancouver-based commercial float plane operations were disrupted last Friday morning when a de Havilland Beaver belonging to Seair was stolen and smashed into two de Havilland Otters belonging to competitor Harbour Air. The stolen Beaver never made it into the air, shearing off its right-side wing as it struck the Otters, causing extensive damage to both of them in the process.

The sheared-off wing was nowhere in sight, presumably lying on the seabed.

The bizarre incident occurred at approximately 03:30 on Friday (February 21). Security cameras revealed that the suspected thief, who is still at large, is a white male, approximately 1.78 metres tall (five feet, 10 inches) with a receding hairline and appearing to be in his forties.

By late morning both operators’ flight schedules were back on track. Police say the suspect probably had a working knowledge of airplanes.

Top photos by Jordan Jiang/CTV News

Bottom photo by Ben Nelms/CBC