Small-plane pilot threatens to crash into Walmart: US police

The pilot of a small plane circling over northern Mississippi on Saturday threatened to crash the aircraft into a Walmart store, US police said.

Tate Reeves, governor of the southern state, said law enforcement and emergency managers were "closely tracking this dangerous situation."

The pilot called a 911 emergency operator in the city of Tupelo, "threatening to intentionally crash into Walmart on West Main," according to a statement from the Tupelo Police Department.

The sprawling department store and a neighboring gas station were evacuated, and people were warned to stay away.

The plane later appeared to leave the Tupelo area and fly about 30 miles (50 kilometers) northwest, nearer the Tennessee state line, according to the FlightAware tracking website.

The FlightAware tracker showed what appeared to be the plane pursuing an erratic, zigzag course.

Tupelo police said they had been in contact with the pilot -- after the initial 911 call around 5:00 am -- but they gave no information on identity or possible motive.

Police cautioned that "with the mobility of an airplane of that type, the danger zone is much larger."

Police said the plane appeared to be of the "King Air type," a utility plane built by Beechcraft, with seating for seven to 11 passengers. Fully fueled it can remain in the air for several hours.