Suicidal Sky Tower pilot jailed

David Turnock survived his attempted suicide crash at Kohimarama Beach. Picture/ Richard Robinson

A "reliable, solid, Kiwi individual" who commandeered a plane and buzzed heavily populated areas of Auckland City and the Sky Tower before ditching the aircraft in Waitemata Harbour in a failed suicide attempt, was yesterday sentenced to 27 months in prison.

David Gregory Turnock, 33, appeared before Judge Robert Kerr in Auckland District Court for sentencing on a slew of aviation charges, including unlawful taking of an aircraft.

The hearing began with a pale and contrite Turnock reading a letter of apology to the court for his actions of September 17.

In it, he expressed his "deepest remorse and regret to the people of New Zealand", the staff and patrons of Sky City who had to be evacuated, his friends and family, and former colleagues at the Massey University School of Aviation.

On election night last year, Turnock, who was upset at the collapse of his 10-month marriage, went to Ardmore Airport in South Auckland, and after drinking bourbon and Coke took a Piper Cherokee plane belonging to Massey University.

Records show he was over the legal blood-alcohol level for driving a motor vehicle when he stole the $80,000-plus aircraft.

After circling a number of Auckland suburbs, and buzzing the Sky Tower, Turnock decided to plunge the plane into the sea in an attempt to end his life.

He had been released from a West Auckland mental facility about a month before the incident.

"I did not expect to survive the crash," he told the court yesterday.

"I did not then, nor do I now, wish to live my life without sharing it with my wife, with whom I am deeply in love."

He insisted he did not intend to harm members of the public, and flew the aircraft in an appropriate manner.

"I do not have a photographic or perfectly clear recollection of the entire events of that evening, but I do recall manoeuvring the aircraft to ensure that I was, at all times, within gliding range of either the sea, or a non-populated region."

Turnock has been in custody since the incident, and he spoke of physical threats and intimidation he suffered at the hands of other prisoners.

His aerial antics had also seen him labelled a terrorist by other inmates, the court was told.

Crown prosecutor Mark Woolford sought a prison term of 45 months for Turnock, half the maximum available for the lead charge of unlawfully taking an aircraft.

"The offending ... appears to be one of the more serious types of cases ... It was an aircraft he took, as opposed to a car or other form of transport."

But Turnock's counsel, Todd Simmonds, said his client was "fundamentally a good person who has very publicly come unstuck". He said Turnock was a "reliable, solid, Kiwi individual", but was suffering from a mental illness. The care he received from mental health workers was "woefully inadequate".

"If the appropriate care was given to him ... he would not have had the opportunity to make such a jolly nuisance of himself on election night, and we would not be here."

Judge Kerr accepted there was no premeditation in Turnock's actions, but blasted the "fear factor" and "9-11 factor" his actions instilled in the public.

He then sentenced Turnock to 27 months for unlawfully taking an aeroplane, with concurrent terms of nine months each on charges of failing to notify the director of civil aviation of his mental condition, and operating an aircraft in an unnecessarily dangerous manner.

He was convicted and fined on ancillary fine-only charges. 


Apology to 'loved' wife

David Turnock's letter "To the Presiding Judge" said in part:

"I would like to apologise to my wife Anna. She made me the happiest man in the world when she took my hand in marriage. I believed we would be together forever. I felt, much as I still do, that my life was shattered the day she decided to leave me quite unexpectedly to foster a new relationship with another man, who is a former close friend and colleague ..."

"Whatever people and in particular you may think of me, I know in my heart that what I did was simply an attempt at suicide. I did not expect to survive the crash. I was, and indeed still am, astounded that not only did I survive, but that I escaped relatively unscathed. I did not then, nor do I now, wish to live my life without sharing it with my wife, with whom I am deeply in love. I am regretfully aware that my wife does not share my feelings, nor it would appear, did she ever. I believe also, that it is her wish that I did not survive the crash and was regretful that my previous attempts to end my life had been unsuccessful. Those are matters that sadden me very, very deeply.

"I accept that a penalty is inevitable to mark my offending, and no doubt to make it clear to others that they should think twice before offending in this type of way. However, no matter what sentence is imposed upon me, it will pale in significance to the lifetime sentence Anna has imposed on me ..."