Landing following five hours
Pilot threatened to crash at Mississippi department store
09/03/2022, 8:55 p.m
For five hours, the pilot of a small plane keeps the US city of Tupelo in suspense. He threatens to fall into a department store on purpose. His motive remains unclear at first.
Hours following a pilot threatened to intentionally fly his small plane into a department store, the US city of Tupelo, Mississippi, has been averted. The plane landed in a field near the city at noon (local time) following more than five hours in the air, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves said.
“We are glad the situation has been resolved and no one was injured,” Reeves wrote on Twitter. The police mastered the “situation with the utmost professionalism”. US media reported that the pilot had been arrested.
According to the police, the pilot called the police early in the morning and threatened the crash. The department store in Tupelo and a nearby shop were then evacuated. City residents had been asked to avoid the affected area.
Videos on social media showed a small plane circling over the city – later the plane turned north. Reeves spoke of a “dangerous situation” that was being closely monitored by police and emergency teams. It was initially unclear whether the pilot had permission to fly and why he made the threat.