A pilot who circled above a Mississippi city for hours and threatened to crash into a branch of Walmart has landed the plane safely after talks with police.
Tupelo Police Chief John Quaka said that Cory Wayne Patterson stole a Beechcraft King Air C90A from the Tupelo Regional Airport and took off early Saturday (local time).
While in the air, he called emergency services and then threatened to crash the aircraft, as he circled for hours.
The Walmart and surrounding areas were evacuated. Numerous major streets in Tupelo were also closed.
Mr Patterson had no pilot’s licence but did have some flight instruction. He works at Tupelo Aviation fuelling aircraft, which gave him access to planes.
Negotiators spoke to Mr Patterson and convinced him not carry out the threat and to land at the airport. Mr Patterson did not have the experience to land and another pilot attempted to coach him through it.
A negotiator re-established contact, and the light plane landed safely in a paddock. Mr Patterson was arrested shortly after, and now faces charges of grand larceny and terroristic threats.
Tupelo Mayor Todd Jordan said he hoped Mr Patterson “will get the help he needs” and didn’t intend to hurt himself or others in the hours after the initial threat.
Mr Quaka said Mr Patterson had posted what was in essence a goodbye message on his Facebook page about 9.30am.
“Sorry everyone. Never wanted to actually hurt anyone. I love my parents and sister this isn’t your fault. Goodbye,” the message read.
Police earlier described Mr Patterson’s threats as a “dangerous situation”.
Michael Canders, director of the Aviation Centre at Farmingdale State College in New York, called the incident “a wake-up call” for general aviation airports and their staff.
The US Transportation Security Administration requires annual training emphasising a “see something, say something” approach to try to prevent a scenario like what police believe occurred in Tupelo — an employee with access to aircraft, Mr Canders said.
“This very thing is discussed in the course, the potential for somebody gaining access and intent on damage,” he said.
“It’s dependent on all of those who work at an airport. If you see someone you don’t recognise or some unusual activity, you’re supposed to report that.”
An online flight tracking service showed the plane meandering in the sky early on Saturday.
Leslie Criss, a magazine editor who lives in Tupelo, woke up early and was watching the situation on TV and social media. Several of her friends were outside watching the plane circle overhead.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in this town,” Criss told The Associated Press. “It’s a scary way to wake up on a Saturday morning.”
Roxanne Ward told CNN the plane landed near her home about 10.20am.
“He landed pretty hard,” she said.
The airplane drama unfolded as tens of thousands of college football fans were headed to north Mississippi for Saturday football games at the University of Mississippi in Oxford and Mississippi State University in Starkville. Tupelo is between those two cities.
-with AAP
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