Pilot, 29, who stole plane and threatened to CRASH into Mississippi Walmart LANDS safely and is taken into custody – after terrifying residents for five HOURS and posting ‘goodbye’ message
- Authorities have evacuated the Walmart store in Mississippi after threats were made by an unidentified pilot
- The 9 seater plane was taken from Tupelo Airport at around 5am and has been flying in circles over the town
- Citizens have been warned to avoid the area until an all clear is given by emergency services
- Cory Patterson, 29, crash landed the plane in a field near Gravestown, Mississippi, after flying for five hours
- The student pilot posted a chilling message on social media, saying that he ‘never intended’ to hurt anyone
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A student pilot who stole a plane from an airport has posted a chilling ‘goodbye’ message on social media while still in the air.
Cory Paterson, 29, took the plane from Tupelo Airport at around 5am, and has been flying in circles across Mississippi for the past five hours.
Patterson reportedly threatened to intentionally crash the Beechcraft King Air 90 plane into a Walmart and has been in contact with the Tupelo Police Department.
In what appeared to be a final message, Patterson posted on Facebook: ‘Sorry everyone. Never actually wanted to hurt anyone. I love my parents and sister this isn’t your fault. Goodbye.’
He is understood to work at the Tupelo Regional Airport, and has regularly posted about flying planes across the country.
The plane has now crash landed after several hours in a field near to Gravestown, and a spokesman for Benton County Sheriff’s Department confirmed Patterson was taken into custody.
Reports from the scene say that the aircraft appears to have little damage after stopping more than four hours after it took off.
Cory Paterson, 29, took the plane from Tupelo Airport at around 5am, and has been flying in circles across Mississippi for the past five hours
He posted a message on social media while he was still in the air, saying ‘goodbye’ and adding that he ‘never actually wanted to hurt anyone’
The plane has now crash landed after several hours in a field near to Gravestown, and it is thought that Benton County Sheriff’s Department have taken Patterson into custody
The 9 seater plane was taken from Tupelo Airport at around 5am and has been flying in circles over the town
He is understood to work at the Tupelo Regional Airport, and has regularly posted about flying planes across the country. Authorities have yet to confirm if the aircraft he was flying has crash landed
Sources confirmed to the Daily Journal that the pilot of the plane is an employee of Tupelo Regional Airport, but the motive behind the erratic flying is unclear
The Tupelo Police Department will hold a press conference around noon.
It is understood that the pilot contacted police regarding his intentions at 5am, and remained in contact with them for some time before ending communication.
Authorities evacuated the Walmart, which was the location of the original threat, dispersing as many people as possible and are urging locals to stay out of the way.
Patterson circled around the Walmart store, with witnesses claiming it then flew to the Toyota plant in Blue Springs before being spotted in Ripley.
In a statement TPD said: ‘At approximately 05:00 am TPD was notified that a pilot of an airplane was flying over Tupelo.
‘The pilot has made contact with E911 and is threatening to intentionally crash into Wal Mart on West Main.
‘TPD has worked with Walmart West and Dodges on West Main to evacuate the stores and disperse people as much as practical.
‘TPD also has been able to begin talking with the pilot directly.
Patterson circled around the Walmart store, with witnesses claiming it then flew to the Toyota plant in Blue Springs before being spotted in Ripley
Authorities have evacuated the area and dispersed as many people as possible and are urging locals to stay out of the way
Tupelo Police Department say they are in contact with the pilot, who is threatening to intentionally crash the Beechcraft King Air 90 plane
‘At this time the situation is ongoing with TPD and all Emergency Services in our area on alert.
‘Citizens are asked to avoid that area until an all clear is given. With the mobility of an airplane of that type the danger zone is much larger than even Tupelo.’
The plane is understood to be owned by Southeast Aviation LLC, and is a nine-seater with two engines.
Governor Tate Reeves said: ‘The plane over North MS is down. Thankful the situation has been resolved and that no one was injured.
‘Thank you most of all to local, state, and federal law enforcement who managed this situation with extreme professionalism.’
A spokesman for Walmart told DailyMail.com: ‘The store is currently closed and evacuated.
‘We’re working closely with local investigators and are referring questions to law enforcement.’
The Mississippi Department of Public Safety did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A spokesman for FBI’s Jackson field office added: ‘The FBI, in accordance with our state and local partners, are aware of the situation. This is an active and ongoing matter. We will provide additional information as we have it.’
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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk