Off-Duty Pilot on Magic Mushrooms Attempts to Shut Off Plane’s Engines Midflight
An off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot has been charged with numerous crimes after allegedly attempting to shut off a plane’s engines midflight. According to court documents filed on Tuesday, Joseph Emerson admitted to taking “magic mushrooms” approximately 48 hours before the incident. Emerson, 44, claimed he thought he was dreaming and wanted to wake up when he tried to shut off the engines.
Emerson pleaded not guilty to 83 counts of attempted murder and one count of endangering an aircraft in state court. In addition to these felonies, he also pleaded not guilty to 83 counts of reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor. Federal prosecutors also charged Emerson with one count of interfering with flight crew members and attendants.
During the incident, Emerson also attempted to grab the handle of an emergency exit while flight attendants were trying to detain him. A flight attendant reported that Emerson said he “tried to kill everybody.” When questioned by authorities on the ground, Emerson stated that he believed he was having a nervous breakdown and hadn’t slept in 40 hours. He also disclosed that he had been struggling with depression for six years and had taken magic mushrooms before the incident.
Alaska Airlines expressed deep concern about the revelations and stated that Emerson did not appear to be impaired before takeoff. The airline claimed that no signs of impairment were observed during the check-in or boarding process.
Emerson was in the jump seat of the cockpit of Alaska Airlines Flight 2059 from Everett, Washington, when he allegedly tried to activate the plane’s emergency fire suppression system, which would have cut off fuel to the engines. Prior to the incident, Emerson was reportedly chatting casually with the flight’s pilots in the cockpit. However, he suddenly threw his headset and declared, “I am not okay.” Emerson then proceeded to grab and pull on the handles that would have activated the suppression system.
The pilots reported struggling with Emerson in the cockpit for approximately 25 seconds before he settled down. The incident lasted about 90 seconds before Emerson was asked to leave the cockpit. The flight attendants were informed that Emerson was “losing it,” and he was escorted to the back of the plane. During the descent to Portland’s airport, Emerson tried to grab the handle of an emergency exit but was stopped by a flight attendant.
Alaska Airlines is currently investigating the incident and ensuring that appropriate measures are taken to prevent similar situations in the future.