A San Diego man pleaded guilty to landing on the U.S. Navy airstrip on San Clemente Island twice before stealing a truck and crashing through several gates at the remote base earlier this year.
Andrew Kyle White, 37, is scheduled to return to federal court for his sentencing on Sept. 29. He faces a maximum of 10.5 years in federal prison for stealing government property and illegally entering a naval base.
White landed at the San Clemente Island airstrip without authorization for the first time in 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. After landing at the base, White signed a letter that informed him that it was a federal crime to travel to San Clemente Island without the Navy’s permission, according to the Justice Department. Federal prosecutors said Navy personnel instructed him not to return to the island.
Nearly two years later, on April 6, 2025, White landed on the island without permission again. After touching down on the airstrip, White stole a Ford F-150 owned by the Navy and crashed it into several gates. Military personnel locked the base down while searching for White. The Navy estimated that White’s trip to San Clemente Island and the subsequent search cost taxpayers $500,000.
