With a small plane over an American city
Pilot threatened to crash into department store – risk averted
A tricky situation erupted in the American city of Tupelo on Saturday: a pilot threatened to fly his small plane into a department store. The danger was averted.
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In Tupelo, a pilot threatens to crash his plane into a Wal-Mart.
A pilot threatened to crash a small plane into a supermarket in the US state of Mississippi on Saturday. After several hours in the air, police were able to land the man in a field near the small town of Tupelo.
“We’re glad the situation was resolved and no one was hurt,” Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said. The police passed “under circumstances with the utmost professionalism”.
Pilot not licensed to fly – Arrested
According to the police, the pilot called the police in the early hours of Saturday morning (local time) and threatened to crash the stolen plane while it was already in the air. The supermarket and nearby store in Tupelo were later evacuated. Residents have been asked to avoid the affected areas.
Videos on social media showed the light aircraft hovering over the city – then turning north.
The man was arrested after a successful emergency landing, police said. It was an airport employee with some flight training, but no license to fly. He now faces charges of grand theft and terroristic threats. (SDA/chs)
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