A man who stole a plane and flew it over north Mississippi after threatening to crash it into a Walmart is facing charges of grand theft and making terroristic threats, authorities said Saturday. Tupelo Police Chief John Quaka said at a news conference that Cory Wayne Patterson stole a Beechcraft King Air C90A from the Tupelo Regional Airport, took off early Saturday, called 911 and then threatened to crash the aircraft. Patterson did not have a pilot’s license, but he had some flight instruction and worked at Tupelo Aviation refueling aircraft, which gave him access to airplanes. Negotiators spoke to Patterson and convinced him not to carry out the threat and land at the airport. Patterson did not have the experience to land and another pilot tried to guide him through it. A negotiator reestablished contact and the plane landed safely. Tupelo Mayor Todd Jordan said he hopes Patterson “gets the help he needs” and did not intend to harm himself or others in the hours after the initial threat. Quaka said Patterson, on his Facebook page, posted what was essentially a farewell message about 9:30 a.m. “Sorry everyone. I never meant to hurt anyone. I love my parents and my sister, it’s not your fault. Goodbye,” the message read. Michael Kanders, director of the Aviation Center at Farmingdale State College in New York, called the incident “a wake-up call” for general aviation airports and their personnel. The Transportation Security Administration requires annual training emphasizing a “see something, say something” approach to try to prevent a scenario like what police believe is the one in Tupelo — an employee with access to aircraft, Canders said. “That’s exactly what’s being discussed along the way, the potential for someone to gain access and intent to harm,” he said. “It depends on everyone who works at an airport. If you see someone you don’t recognize or some unusual activity, you’re supposed to report it.” An online flight tracking service showed the plane circling the sky early Saturday. Leslie Criss, a magazine editor who lives in Tupelo, woke up early and tracked the situation on television and social media. Several of her 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.” The plane drama unfolded as tens of thousands of college football fans headed to north Mississippi for Saturday’s football games at the University of Mississippi in Oxford and Mississippi State University in Starkville. Tupelo is located between these two towns.
The plane over North MS has gone down. Fortunately the situation was resolved and no one was injured. Thank you most of all to the local, state and federal law enforcement who handled this situation with exceptional professionalism. — Governor Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) September 3, 2022 State law enforcement and emergency managers are closely monitoring this dangerous situation. All citizens should be alert and aware of updates from the Tupelo Police Department. https://t.co/hQ8GxcR8s0 — Governor Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) September 3, 2022 —— Associated Press writer Michael Balsamo in New York contributed to this report.
