Missouri man gets six years for shooting at crop dusting plane

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A southwest Missouri man faces more than six years in prison for shooting at a small aircraft he claimed was interfering with his sleep.

The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri said in a release that David Leroy Dickenson, 39, of Miller was sentenced Tuesday to six and a half years in prison without parole. Dickenson also has to pay the aircraft owner about $17,500.

Dickenson pleaded guilty last year to destruction of an aircraft.

Court documents show that in December 2014 Dickenson was angry that a low-flying plane spraying herbicide was interrupting his day-time sleep.

He went outside with a shotgun and shot at the plane.

The pilot wasn’t injured, and safely landed the plane, which had several buckshot holes in it.

This story was originally published February 17, 2016 at 6:59 AM with the headline "Missouri man gets six years for shooting at crop dusting plane."