A plane flew over North Mississippi early Saturday morning, causing panic on the ground as the pilot allegedly threatened to crash into a Walmart. Hours later, the plane landed safely in a field and police arrested the pilot.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves announced on Twitter shortly after 10:30 a.m. local time that the “situation has been resolved and no one was injured.” He thanked law enforcement who helped bring the plane down.
The US Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the plane landed northwest of Ripley, Mississippi, with only the pilot on board. Benton County Sheriff’s dispatcher Connie Strickland also said the plane landed and the subject was taken into custody.
A plane that police say was stolen is seen flying over Tupelo, Miss., on Saturday. (Rachel McWilliams/The Associated Press)
The plane began flying over Tupelo around 5 a.m., the Tupelo Police Department said. Officers evacuated a Walmart and a convenience store in Tupelo because the pilot allegedly threatened to crash into the Walmart on purpose.
The plane flew over Tupelo for more than three hours before flying to more rural areas. People came out and looked up at the sky, some of them taking photos or videos with their cellphones.
Authorities believe the plane, a Beechcraft King Air C90A, was stolen and are working to determine whether the pilot is an employee of a local airport, two people briefed on the matter told The Associated Press. Several federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, were involved in the investigation and are working to discern a motive.
Airplanes snaking through the sky
An online flight tracking service showed the plane snaking through the sky for several hours and following a looping path.
Leslie Criss, a magazine editor who lives in Tupelo, woke up early and was watching the situation on TV and social media. Several of his friends were outside watching the plane circle overhead.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in this city,” Criss told The Associated Press. “It’s a scary way to wake up on a Saturday morning.”
Former state Rep. Steve Holland, who is a funeral director in Tupelo, said he had received calls from families concerned about the plane.
“One called and said, ‘Oh my God, do we have to cancel mom’s funeral?'” Holland said. “I just told them, ‘No, life will go on.’
The plane drama unfolded as tens of thousands of college football fans headed north to Mississippi for Saturday’s football games at the University of Mississippi in Oxford and Mississippi State University in Starkville. Tupelo is between these two cities.