Off-Duty Pilot Attempted to Disrupt Alaska Airlines Flight, Prompting Emergency Landing
An off-duty pilot attempted to disrupt the operation of the engines on an Alaska Airlines flight en route to San Francisco on Sunday, forcing the plane to divert to Portland, Oregon, the airline confirmed on Monday.
The suspect, identified as Joseph D. Emerson, 44, was subdued by the flight crew and taken into custody by the Port of Portland police officers. Records show Emerson has been charged with 83 felony counts of attempted murder, 83 counts of reckless endangerment, and one count of endangering an aircraft.
According to Alaska Airlines, Flight 2059, operated by Horizon Air, reported a “credible security threat related to an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot who was traveling in the flight deck jump seat” shortly after taking off from Paine Field Airport in Everett, Washington.
The off-duty pilot allegedly attempted to shut down both engines on the Embraer 175 aircraft by pulling the engine fire extinguisher handles. However, the quick reaction of the captain and first officer prevented the engines from failing completely.
“The fire suppression system consists of a T-handle for each engine; when pulled, a valve in the wing closes to shut off fuel to the engine,” Alaska Airlines explained. “After they are pulled, some residual fuel remains in the line, and the quick reaction of our crew to reset the handles restored fuel flow and prevented fuel starvation.”
Passenger Aubrey Gavello, who was on the flight, said she was unaware of the incident until the flight attendant made an announcement about preparing for an early landing. Gavello said the flight crew walked the suspect to the back of the plane where a flight attendant attempted to calm him using zipties.
Upon landing in Portland, the suspect was taken into custody by 10 police officers. The FBI and the Port of Portland are currently investigating the incident.
No injuries were reported on Flight 2059, and the FBI assured the public that there is no ongoing threat related to this incident.
The FAA is supporting the local law enforcement investigation and has informed airlines that the incident is not connected to current world events.
Emerson, who holds an Airline Transport Pilot certification, does not have a certification to fly the ERJ 175 aircraft involved in the incident.
Neighbors of Emerson expressed shock at his alleged behavior, describing him as a “really nice guy” with nothing abnormal about him.
The remaining passengers on Flight 2059 were able to travel on a later flight, and Alaska Airlines expressed gratitude for the professional handling of the situation by the flight crew.