25-10-2023 (LOS ANGELES) Court documents revealed on Tuesday (Oct 24) that the off-duty pilot from the United States who tried to shut down the engines of a plane mid-flight over the weekend had ingested magic mushrooms and believed he was experiencing a nervous breakdown.
During the incident on Sunday, pilots wrestled Joseph Emerson out of the cockpit after he made a move towards the controls that would have cut off fuel to the engines, potentially turning the aircraft into a glider.
Emerson, who informed the police that he hadn’t slept for 40 hours, also attempted to open an emergency exit at the rear of the plane and had to be subdued by the cabin crew during an emergency landing.
According to a criminal complaint, Emerson told the police, “I pulled both emergency shutoff handles because I thought I was dreaming and I just want to wake up.”
Emerson, in conversation with the investigating officer, mentioned the use of psychedelic mushrooms, stating that it was his first time taking them.
The 44-year-old was arrested on Sunday evening after the Alaska Airlines flight made an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon. He had boarded the flight, operated by Horizon Air, between Everett, Washington, and San Francisco, occupying the jump seat in the cockpit as per airline policy for non-working staff.
Shortly after the flight commenced, Emerson engaged in conversation with the pilots. The Department of Justice stated that “Emerson attempted to grab and pull two red fire handles that would have activated the plane’s emergency fire suppression system and cut off fuel to its engines.” After a brief struggle with the pilots, Emerson exited the cockpit.
Alaska Airlines confirmed on Monday that the pilots swiftly reversed the handles, ensuring the safe landing of the aircraft.
The Department of Justice reported, “Flight attendants placed Emerson in wrist restraints and seated him in the rear of the aircraft.” During the descent, Emerson made another attempt to open an emergency exit, but a flight attendant prevented him by placing her hands on top of his.
Emerson now faces a federal charge of interfering with flight crew members and attendants, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. In addition, he has been charged in Oregon with 83 counts of attempted murder, 83 counts of reckless endangerment, and one count of endangering an aircraft.
During a brief court appearance in Portland on Tuesday, he pleaded not guilty to these charges, as reported by US media.
Audio recordings obtained from Live ATC, a website that archives conversations between pilots and air traffic controllers, captured the moments after the incident. The pilot can be heard saying, “We’ve got the guy that tried to shut the engines down out of the cockpit… And he doesn’t sound like he’s causing any issue in the back right now. I think he’s subdued. Other than that, yeah, we want law enforcement as soon as we get on the ground and parked.”
Alaska Airlines announced on Tuesday that Emerson has been “removed from service indefinitely and relieved from all duties.”
In March 2015, a Germanwings plane on a flight from Barcelona to Dusseldorf was intentionally crashed by a pilot, resulting in the deaths of all 144 passengers and six crew members on board.
