SANTA ANA, Calif. -- A boy pilot Saturday realized his dream of becoming the youngest aviator to circumnavigate the globe, touching his plane down on the same runway he lifted off from seven weeks ago on a 17,000-mile odyssey.
Eleven-year-old Tony Aliengena of San Juan Capistrano completed the final leg of his global trip at 2:28 p.m.
He hadn't gotten homesick, Tony told a crushing crowd of well-wishers and news media, but 'I miss my dog, Rags.'
Tony rolled his borrowed Cessna Centurion to a stop at John Wayne Airport and climbed out of his booster seat and into the history books.
Tony's historic trip, which began June 5, ended coincidentally on the same date as aviation pioneer Wiley Post's first solo around-the-world flight in 1933.
Aboard the tiny plane with Tony were his father, Gary Aliengena, mother, Susan, and sister Alaina, 9, and Russian pen pal Roman Tcheremnykh, 10.
The last seat on board was reserved for Gunter Hagan, a retired physicist from Malibu who served as official observer for the National Aeronautics Association, which certifies aviation records.
Other members of the entourage arrived in a second plane.
The fifth grader's flight was flawless until he turned the plane over to his father last week in Nome for a fishing trip to Golovin, 60 miles east. The family Cessna crashed, slightly injuring Tony and others aboard.
Tony had flown his family 14,000 miles across the United States, Europe and the Soviet Union when the crash occurred just 3,000 miles from the end of the trip.
The Federal Aviation Administration, which is still investigating the accident, blamed pilot error. FAA spokesman Paul Steucke told reporters that Tony's father mistook a taxiway at Golovin for the runway and tried to take off too soon on the short approach.
Steucke said the FAA also concluded that Gary Aliengena violated federal safety rules by having eight people in a six-seat airplane. Federal regulations require passengers to each have a seat with seatbelts.
The boy was reported in tears in the Golovin clinic after the crash. His mother expressed thanks that everyone survived and his father vowed to find another plane to finish the trip.
A pilot with another Cessna Centurion, Ralph Meloon, flew his plane to Nome and offered it to the Aliengenas so the boy could accomplish his goal.
Federal aviation regulations do not list a minimum age at which a person can begin learning to fly, as long as a licensed pilot is at the controls.
The best part of the trip, Tony said, was visiting the Kremlin and catching a 30-pound salmon in Alaska during his otherwise ill-fated sidetrip.
In addition to setting a world record for the pilot's age, the Aliengenas took on the flight in an effort to spread international camaraderie.
On the plane with them was a scroll boasting 1 million signatures from children around the world, each urging international peace. It was unrolled in Moscow's Red Square.
'He's a great kid,' Tony's father said. 'He's really determined. I'm very proud of him. I'm proud of the whole family.'
Tony started flying at age 7. As a 9-year-old he became the youngest pilot to fly across the United States and back to California.
To qualify as the youngest around-the-world pilot, Tony was required to perform all takeoffs and landings. His father sat at his side and performed many of the other flying duties, such as charting the route, checking weather conditions, talking to air-traffic controllers and advising his son on handling difficult conditions.
Tony said he was considering another around-the-world flight, but this time 'I might go from the two poles.'
