Sun, Sep 18, 2005
Election Night Drama Ends With Plunge Into Harbor
A New Zealand man was in
serious but stable condition after he stole a Piper Cherokee Friday
night and reportedly threatened to ram it into Auckland's tallest
building, before instead crashing into the sea just off St. Heliers
Beach, according to media reports.
"It arose from a domestic situation," said Auckland police
spokeswoman Phillipa White said. "A man with a pilot's license
stole a light plane and threatened to crash into the Sky
Tower."
The incident occurred on election day in New Zealand, as
residents went to the polls for that country's parliamentary
election. An initial report said the man had also threatened
to fly the plane into the home of National Party leader Don Brash,
who has a home on St. Heliers. The report was later retracted, and
authorities say the pilot had no political motivations for the
act.
Emergency crews responded promptly to the crash, hauling the man
off to the hospital while in police custody. The man had been
interviewed by police, although no further details were given.
The 1076-foot tall Sky Tower sits atop the Skycity Casino in
downtown Auckland, and is one of the tallest structures in the
Southern Hemisphere.
The incident did not appear to have any impact on the results of
the election, with New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark of the
Labour Party expected to win an historic third-successive term in
office, after a very close race against opponent Brash.
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