A Boeing 727 vanished from airport without a trace in 2003 and still hasn't been found to this day
Published on Aug 29, 2025 at 7:14 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Aug 29, 2025 at 7:49 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Back in 2003, a Boeing 727 vanished without a trace after being stolen from an airport in Angola and flown away.
The story unfolded on the evening of May 25, 2003, at Quatro de Feveriro Airport in Luanda.
The Boeing 727 had previously been used by American Airlines until 2000.
After spending more than a year grounded at the airport, it was stolen in 2003 and hasn’t been seen since.
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The Boeing 727 vanished from an Angolan airport in 2003
The Boeing 727, serial number 20985, was built in 1975 and had been operated by American Airlines for 25 years.
According to reports at the time, the plane’s last owner was a company called Aerospace Sales and Leasing.
The Boeing had been grounded at Quatro de Feveriro Airport for 14 months and had racked up more than $50,000 in unpaid airport fees.
Since its time as an American Airlines passenger plane, the 727 had an overhaul, with the FBI saying all of its seats had been removed and it had been outfitted to carry diesel fuel.
On the evening of May 25, 2003, it’s believed two men, Ben C. Padilla and John M. Mutantu, boarded the aircraft.
Padilla was a private pilot and flight engineer, but wasn’t certified to fly a Boeing 727, which typically requires a three-pilot crew.
The plane was reportedly carrying enough fuel to offer a range of around 1,500 miles.
Shortly after airport workers saw the two men board the plane, it began taxiing without contacting the control room and then entered a runway without clearance.
Panicking, air traffic controllers attempted to make contact with the plane but were unsuccessful, and the Boeing 727 took off.
The plane headed southwest towards the Atlantic Ocean before the Boeing 727 vanished completely, and to this day, neither the aircraft or the two men suspected to be on it have been seen.
There have been suggestions about what happened
Despite a thorough investigation and a worldwide search, the Boeing 727 vanished without a trace on May 25, 2003.
However, there have been several theories on what happened.
Padilla’s sister told a local newspaper that she believes her brother had been flying the plane when it crashed somewhere in Africa.
She also suggested he may have been held against his will.
Meanwhile, US authorities thought the plane could have been taken as the result of a feud or a scam.
But what truly happened that day remains a mystery more than two decades on.
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
