10:25 AM

According to Benton County officials, the pilot has landed the plane safely and has been arrested in Tippah County.

Thank you to all to local, state, and federal law enforcement who took part in resolving this situation peacefully. #MHP #CourtesyServiceSafety pic.twitter.com/sEN45bCn20

— MHP New Albany (@MHPTroopF) September 3, 2022

10:09 AM

Pilot was descending and slowing down the plane.

10:04 AM 

According to law enforcement officials in Benton and Tippah County, he is still in the air over Highway 370 on the Benton, Tippah County line.

9:54 AM

Here is the pilot’s flight pattern as of this time.

According to the Scotty Ray Report, there is still no communication with the pilot as fuel is getting low in the aircraft.

We are following this plane’s flight patterns closely. At 8:48 am, according to FlightAware, it appears to be flying around the area in the photo and heading back towards the Oxford area.

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Update: at 8:28 am, according to FlightAware, he appears to have left the Tupelo area and circled Hickory Flat before heading north and then taking a hard left towards Potts Camp.

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Update: at 8:00 am, a photo of the plane’s flight pattern from FlightAware. The man’s plane was supposed to land at 6:31 am.

We will continue to update.

He is potentially flying this plane, FlightAware tells us.

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A man is in the air above Tueplo, MS this morning threatening to crash his plane into the Walmart in Tupelo. The Mississippi Highway Patrol is evacuating the area now.

From the Tupelo Police Department:

“On 09-03-2022 at approximately 05:00 am TPD was notified that a pilot of an airplane (possibly King Air type) was flying over Tupelo. The pilot has made contact with E911 and is threatening to intentionally crash into Wal Mart on West Main.

TPD has worked with Wal-Mart West and Dodges on West Main to evacuate the stores and disperse people as much as practical. TPD also has been able to begin talking with the pilot directly.

At this time the situation is ongoing with TPD and all Emergency Services in our area on alert.

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.

More information will be released when appropriate.”