YouTuber Offered Abandoned Plane For Free If He Could Start It

A YouTuber was offered an abandoned plane worth over $200,000 for free, with a little trick.

He had to start the engine.

It sounds simple enough, but this particular plane had been parked for about 20 years.

And after years of being outside with its windows and doors open, that deal almost didn’t happen.

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Discovering the abandoned plane

Jason Morrison is known for his YouTube channel Rebuild Rescue, where he rebuilds boats, cars, and planes that need saving.

He was at the local airport taking flying lessons when airport staff reported an abandoned plane on the property.

No one knew how long he had been outside, left to fend for himself against the elements.

The YouTuber went to see the plane and, after realizing it was a Cessna 401A, wanted to know more.

While some people buy abandoned planes to turn them into quirky Airbnbs or even cars, Morrison wanted to get this one flying again.

The 1968 model could cost between $100,000 and $200,000 and was known for being both reliable and luxurious.

Morrison managed to track down the owner to get the full story.

Incredibly, the owner had decided that repairing the plane was more trouble than it was worth, and offered it to Morrison.

All the YouTuber had to do was get it working and he could fly it out of the airport as its new owner.

The Cessna had been left outside for so many years that it had earned the nickname “the bird house.”

It was clear that birds had inhabited every square inch of the plane, from the engines to the seats.

“It smells like a chicken coop in here,” Morrison said the first time he walked in.

Once a relatively glamorous six-seater, the leather interior was now ruined by bird droppings and water damage.

The 401 is powered by turbocharged Continental engines, making it ideal for long-range and high-altitude flights.

These engines had become huge birds’ nests over the past few years.

Morrison and his team set to work checking everything from spark plugs to fuel filters, replacing or refurbishing them if necessary.

Just before testing the engines, he called a friend for moral support, none other than the guy who converts Elvis’ private jet into a camper van.

Incredibly, the left side came back to life, with the propeller turning perfectly.

This was enough for the owner, who handed over the keys to the Cessna.

The plane is far from airworthy, however, and two years and 76 videos later, Morrison is still repairing it.

All the money he saved on the plane he probably made up for in mechanic bills.