The man who stole a small plane, flew around for hours and threatened to crash into a Walmart before landing unharmed is facing charges of grand larceny and terroristic threats, authorities said.
Tupelo Police Chief John Quaka said at a press conference that the man, 29-year-old Cory Wayne Patterson of Mississippi, didn’t have a pilot’s license.
Quaka said Patterson was an employee of 10 years at Tupelo Aviation where he would refuel aircraft. That company is located at Tupelo Airport where the saga began after the suspect stole a plane early Saturday morning.
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The police chief said Patterson complied with officers as he was taken into custody but could also face federal charges. Quaka said Patterson’s family “were very concerned” and “very thankful that no harm was done.”
He said police were still working to establish the motivation behind the rouge flight.
“We will run down with the motivation,” Quaka said at the news conference. “We will pursue any angle and avenue that there is. We will work in conjunction with the FBI to do so.”
Earlier Patterson shared what appeared to be a farewell message on Facebook while in the air.
“Sorry everyone. Never actually wanted to hurt anyone. I love my parents and sister this isn’t your fault. Goodbye,” it read. Dozens of people replied to the post, urging the person to land the twin-engine turboprop safely.
Tupelo Regional Airport Executive Director Joseph Wheeler told the Daily Journal he knows Patterson well and would speak to him daily.
“I thought my guys were messing with me, especially after they said the name. I would think I would do it before he did,” Wheeler said. “(Patterson) seemed like a strait-laced guy and a hard worker.”
The bizarre incident began unfolding around 5 a.m. when the plane was seen making loop after loop over Tupelo. Police said the man had called 911 and threatened to crash into the Walmart.
Authorities evacuated buildings on West Main Street in Tupelo as cops warned that the situation could go bad fast.
“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 police department said in an early-morning statement.
Around 9 a.m., the plane did leave Tupelo airspace and traveled northwest and then east, where it was again seen making circles over various towns before it disappeared from flight-tracking radar.
Police said negotiators made contact and tried to convince Patterson to land but he did not know how. Another pilot guided him to land at the Tupelo Airport but he didn’t, police said.
Quaka said police had “reason to believe that he was very close to running out of fuel” when he landed.
Data from FlightAware indicated the aircraft in question was a Beechcraft King Air 90 turboprop.
