The man who stole a small airplane and threatened to crash it into a Walmart has died in prison (Picture: AP)

A man accused of stealing a plane and threatening to fly it into a Walmart before ultimately crashing in a field has died in federal custody.

Cory Wayne Patterson was found unresponsive in his cell on Monday, a Bureau of Prisons (BOP) spokesperson stated.

On November 10, Patterson arrived at the Miami BOP facility to receive a psychiatric evaluation. He was found dead four days later.

‘Responding staff immediately initiated life-saving measures. Staff requested emergency medical services and life-saving efforts continued,’ the BOP stated. First responders eventually pronounced him dead at the scene.

Cory Patterson was an employee of the airport he stole the plane from, but was not a licensed pilot (Picture: Tupelo Police Department)

The BOP has not released any additional details about his cause of death.

Patterson was facing federal charges of destruction of aircraft and threatening the destruction of aircraft.

On September 3, he hijacked a twin-engine plane from an airport in Tupelo, Mississippi where he worked.

Patterson threatened to crash the plane into a nearby Walmart. He told dispatchers talking to him ‘I just don’t want to live anymore and want to cause chaos while I’m at it,’ according to federal court documents.

Patterson circled the sky around Tupelo, Mississippi before a negotiator convinced him to land (Picture: REUTERS)

He told a 911 dispatcher to ‘get the Walmart on West Main Street evacuated because I am going to crash into it.’

Later, he told dispatchers ‘Y’all should see me circling [the airplane] right now, so know that this is a real threat and not me f***ing around with y’all.’

Patterson also left a note explaining ‘the reason why I did this.’ He said he was not insane, just a ‘normal guy’ who was ‘sick of the world and living in it.’

‘I picked Wal-Mart because it will be quick and easy to evacuate as I am not interested in hurting anyone,’ Patterson wrote.

He continues: ‘Walmart will recover from this. Their insurance will cover everything the SAME WAY it covers theft! Yeah folks, chew on that the next time you hear about some poor hungry sap stealing food.’

However, police negotiators eventually convinced Patterson to land the plane instead of going through with his threat.

After convincing him to land, a professional pilot tried to coach him through landing the plane at the airport he took off from. He was only licensed as a student pilot at the time, and overshot the landing strip.

Patterson eventually crash landed in a soybean field in Ripley, Mississippi.

He was arrested immediately at the crash site and charged with grand larceny and terroristic threats. He was later transferred to a BOP facility after being indicted on federal charges.

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Cory Patterson was transferred to a Miami facility just days before his death.