Man jailed after threatening to crash plane into Sky Tower

The stolen aircraft is lifted from where it crashed into the sea off Kohimarama last November. Picture / Richard Robinson

The man who stole a light plane and threatened to crash it into Auckland's Sky Tower on election night last year was today sentenced to two years and three months in prison.

David Gregory Turnock, 33, was sentenced in Auckland District Court after pleading guilty to seven charges last November.

The counts included threatening to harm people and property, unlawfully taking an aircraft and operating an aircraft in a way likely to cause danger. There were also several civil aviation charges.

The court was previously told that Turnock, a former Auckland flying instructor, wanted his wife back.

To get her attention, he took a Piper Cherokee Warrior aircraft from Ardmore airport on September 17 and told air traffic controllers he planned to crash into the Sky Tower.

The tower was evacuated but Turnock changed his mind and crashed into the sea off Kohimarama Beach in Auckland's eastern suburbs. He told police he did not intend to harm anyone.

- NZPA