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Stolen plane lands on US highway Stolen plane lands on US highway
(30 minutes later)
A small plane allegedly stolen from an airport in Ontario, Canada, has been intercepted by US fighter jets and forced to land in Missouri. A small plane reported stolen from an airport in Canada has been intercepted by US fighter jets and forced to land in the US state of Missouri.
Pentagon officials said the pilot had flown erratically and did not respond to requests to establish contact.Pentagon officials said the pilot had flown erratically and did not respond to requests to establish contact.
The pursuit continued across Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois, before the single-engine aircraft landed on a highway near Ellsinore. The pursuit continued across Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois before the plane landed on a highway near Ellsinore.
The pilot was taken into custody by highway patrol officers. A state trooper who helped arrest the man said he had wanted to kill himself by being shot down.
A spokeswoman from the US Federal Aviation Administration said the Cessna 172 came from a flight school at Thunder Bay Airport, Ontario, from where it was reported stolen.A spokeswoman from the US Federal Aviation Administration said the Cessna 172 came from a flight school at Thunder Bay Airport, Ontario, from where it was reported stolen.
The head of the school said: "Apparently somebody jumped over the fence and just jumped into an aircraft. The head of the school, Judi Maundrell, said said someone apparently "jumped over the fence and just jumped into an aircraft".
"It was sitting as usual parked on the ramp. The keys are in all the aircraft because students are using them." "It was sitting as usual parked on the ramp. The keys are in all the aircraft because students are using them," she said.
The aircraft was quickly intercepted by US fighter jets, but kept heading south. The single-engine aircraft was intercepted by fighter jets, but kept heading south.
The plane landed about six hours after the reported theft, and had enough fuel for about eight hours of flight, according to officials. It landed about six hours after the reported theft, according to officials.
The Missouri state trooper who made the arrest said the pilot told him he had hoped to be shot down.
"He made a statement that he was trying to commit suicide and he didn't have the courage to do it himself," Justin Watson told ABC television.
"And his idea was to fly the aircraft into the United States, where he would be shot down."