An off-duty pilot has pleaded not guilty after he was charged with more than 160 counts of attempted murder after he allegedly tried to shut off the engines of a passenger plane flying from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco, California, on Oct. 22.
Alaska Airlines pilot Joseph D. Emerson, 44, was arrested on the same day the incident occurred, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon said in a press release.
He was also charged by federal prosecutors in a criminal complaint with one count of interfering with flight crew members and attendants, which carries a sentence of up to 20 years behind bars.
According to court documents, Port of Portland police officers responded to a report of an inbound aircraft—Alaska Airlines Flight 2059—that had diverted from its route between Everett and San Francisco to Portland International Airport in Oregon owing to an “inflight disturbance.”
Pilot Was ‘Suffering With Depression’
Mr. Emerson had engaged in casual conversation with the pilots approximately halfway between Astoria, Oregon, and Portland before he suddenly 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,” according to prosecutors.
A brief physical struggle ensued, according to the pilots, and Mr. Emerson “exited the cockpit” before being placed in wrist restraints and seated at the back of the plane by flight attendants.
Still, as the plane began to descend, Mr. Emerson attempted to grab the handle of an emergency exit, prosecutors allege.
A flight attendant was able to prevent the off-duty pilot from doing so by placing her hands on top of his, according to the criminal complaint.
Once the flight landed in Portland, Mr. Emerson was arrested without further incident and booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center, officials said.
He pleaded not guilty to all state charges on Tuesday.
Alaska Airlines ‘Deeply Disturbed’ by Incident
In a statement, Alaska Airlines said it was “deeply disturbed” by the incident and that Mr. Emerson has been removed from service indefinitely and relieved from all duties at Alaska Airlines.The airline also noted that all passengers on board were able to complete their journey with a new crew and aircraft.
“On Oct. 22, Alaska Airlines Flight 2059 operated by Horizon Air from Everett, WA (PAE) to San Francisco, CA (SFO) reported a credible security threat related to an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot, identified as Captain Joseph Emerson, who was traveling in the flight deck jump seat. Captain Emerson unsuccessfully attempted to disrupt the operation of the engines. The Horizon Captain and First Officer quickly responded, and the crew secured the aircraft without incident,” the airline said.
“Engine power was not lost despite the off-duty pilot’s attempt to shut down the engines by engaging the Engine Fire Handle, also known as the fire suppression system,” the statement continued. “Our crew responded without hesitation to a difficult and highly unusual situation, and we are incredibly proud and grateful for their skillful actions. ”
“We are grateful for the patience of our guests throughout this event and are reaching out to each of them individually to discuss their experience and check in on their well-being,” the airline added.
Separately, Joy Jiras, an FBI Portland field office spokesperson, told the Los Angeles Times that the FBI is probing whether or not Mr. Emerson may have consumed psychedelic mushrooms at the time of the midair incident.
“The FBI is investigating the timeline of his use of magic mushrooms. We are trying to figure out whether he was on them that day or whether they were in his system or not,” she told the publication.
The incident is being investigated by the Port of Portland Police Department and the FBI.
