Alaska Airlines pilot: off duty US pilot ‘tried to shut down’ plane’s engine - and told officers he tried ‘magic’ mushrooms two days prior

A pilot has been charged with attempted murder after trying to disable the engines of an Alaska Airlines jet “mid-flight”. Joseph David Emerson, 44, an Alaska Airlines pilot told police he had taken psychedelic mushrooms two days earlier and had not slept in 40 hours, court documents showed on Tuesday (24 October).

He was arrested on Sunday (22 October) in Portland after he tried to disable the engines on a flight from Evertt, Washington, to San Francisco. The flight was re-routed to Portland after a security threat was reported, according to the airline - and officials said crew members subdued him.

Emerson was charged with 83 counts of attempted murder, 83 counts of recklessly endangering another person and one count of endangering an aircraft, according to the local prosecutor’s office. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told U.S. airlines in a notice seen by Reuters that the off-duty pilot, flying as a "validated jump seat passenger," sought to disable the engines by attempting to activate the engine fire-suppression system while the plane was at cruise altitude.

The FBI affidavit said Emerson, who as an off-duty pilot was authorised to ride in the cockpit’s jump seat, made casual conversation with the captain and first officer when the plane was between Astoria and Portland, before trying to grab two red handles that would have activated the plane’s fire suppression system and cut off fuel to its engines. Alaska Airlines said that if the T-handle “is fully deployed, a valve in the wing closes to shut off fuel to the engine” however “in this case, the quick reaction of our crew to reset the T-handles ensured engine power was not lost.” After what the flight crew described as a brief struggle lasting about 30 seconds, Emerson left the cockpit, the FBI said.

LiveATC.net, an online service that streams communications between air traffic control and commercial jets. Captured radio chatter from the flight deck. The Horizon pilot can be heard telling air traffic control: “"I’ll just give you a heads-up. We’ve got the guy that tried to shut the engines down out of the cockpit. It doesn’t sound like he’s causing any issue at the back. I think he’s subdued. ... We want law enforcement as soon as we get on the ground and parked."

Flight attendants placed him in wrist restraints and seated him in the rear of the aircraft, but as the plane descended, he tried to grab the handle of an emergency exit, according to the document. The document added that a flight attendant stopped him by placing her hands on top of his.

Alaska Airlines said Emerson joined Alaska Air Group as a Horizon first officer in August 2001 and left in 2012 to join Virgin America as a pilot. He became an Alaska Airlines first officer after Alaska’s acquisition of Virgin America in 2016 and became an Alaska Airlines captain in 2019. Alaska Airlines said "at no point were his certifications denied, suspended or revoked".

The FBI in Portland said it "is investigating and can assure the travelling public there is no continuing threat related to this incident”. An FAA pilot database showed Emerson listed as a certified pilot who received a medical clearance last month. On Monday (23 October), the FAA told airlines that the incident "is not connected in any way, shape or form to current world events" but said it is "always good practice to maintain vigilance."

According to the affidavit, he asked police if he could waive his right to a lawyer: “I’m admitting to what I did. I’m not fighting any charges you want to bring against me, guys. I pulled both emergency shut-off handles because I thought I was dreaming and I just wanna wake up.” Emerson took his most recent exam in September, Federal Aviation Administration records show, but according to the charging documents, he had long been struggling with depression.