A man who allegedly went on a joy ride with a plane, eventually landing at LAX earlier this month, was charged with multiple felony counts in San Diego court.
The 23-year-old pleaded not guilty to stealing the aircraft as well as grand theft and burglary.
Skye Edward Turner, 23,
allegedly took the Cirrus SR22 single-engine aircraft after a domestic
argument and had planned to fly the plane into the ocean but
reconsidered, authorities said.
After Turner contacted LAX air traffic controllers about 2:25 a.m.
while he was still outside the airport’s airspace, controllers in San
Diego issued instructions to help him descend and got clearance from
LAX for the plane to land. The pilot aborted his first landing because
he was coming in too fast.
The aircraft had been flying for six hours before landing in Palm
Springs, where it was refueled and flown to Los
Angeles.
Turner claimed he had gotten the aircraft’s keys from an
airport in San Diego County, law enforcement sources said.
Turner faces up to three years in prison if convicted. He was ordered
held on $75,000 bail pending his next court hearing on March 8.
–Shelby Grad
Photo: KTLA