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. Story continues below ad 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 really wanted to hurt anyone. I love my parents and my sister, it’s not your fault. Goodbye,” the message read. Trending Stories

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Michael Canders, 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.

		Read more: Pilot threatens to turn back AirDrop passenger naked on entire plane 		
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			The pilot threatens to turn around when the passenger AirDrops naked on the entire plane

The Transportation Security Administration requires annual training emphasizing a “see something, say something” approach to try to prevent a scenario like the one police believe happened 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 any unusual activity, you should report it.” An online flight tracking service showed the plane circling the sky early Saturday. Story continues below ad 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. © 2022 The Canadian Press