Topline
A pilot who threatened to crash a plane into a Tupelo, Mississippi, Walmart on Saturday morning has landed his plane in a field in a rural area following hours of erratic flying, according to WTVA-TV.
This photo taken on August 27, 2018 shows a Beechcraft 200 Super King Air of APG Airlines as it … [+]
Key Facts
The pilot reportedly survived the crash and was arrested by Benton County sheriff’s deputies.
The Tupelo Police Department said it received a call at around 5 a.m. Central time from a pilot making threats, prompting an evacuation of the Walmart.
Police say the airplane appeared to be a Beechcraft King Air, a twin-engine turboprop that is commonly used for personal and corporate flights.
A flight tracking site showed a King Air flying erratic loops over the Tupelo area Saturday morning before it stopped reporting at 10:07 a.m., presumably because the plane landed.
Gov. Tate Reeves (R) tweeted that state law enforcement agencies are also “closely tracking this dangerous situation.”
It’s not clear what motive the man had for threatening to crash into the Walmart.
Crucial Quote
“With the mobility of an airplane of that type the danger zone is much larger than even Tupelo,” Tupelo police said.
Key Background
Tupelo is a small city in northeast Mississippi, with a population of just under 38,000 people, according to the Census Bureau.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2022/09/03/pilot-threatening-mississippi-walmart-lands-plane-in-field-report-says/