Off-Duty Pilot Accused of Attempting to Crash Alaska Airlines Jet Cites Mental Breakdown An off-duty pilot who stands accused of trying to crash an Alaska Airlines jet has reported to
authorities that he believed he was experiencing a severe nervous breakdown. Court documents reveal that Joseph David Emerson also disclosed his use of psychedelic mushrooms and his struggles with depression. Mr. Emerson entered a plea of not guilty to 83 counts of attempted murder in an Oregon court this Tuesday.
The incident in question occurred while he was seated in the cockpit behind the captain on Sunday. He allegedly told the pilots, "I am not okay," before making an attempt to access the shutoff handles, which, if successful, would have activated the fire suppression system in the jet engines, cutting off the fuel supply.
According to the criminal complaint, one pilot had to wrestle with Mr. Emerson until he ceased resisting and was subsequently removed from the cockpit. The entire ordeal lasted approximately 90 seconds. After being subdued, Mr. Emerson reportedly told flight attendants that they needed to handcuff him immediately to prevent a dire outcome. He also attempted to reach for the emergency exit handle during the plane's descent.
While speaking to investigators during his police interview, Mr. Emerson explained that he believed he was dreaming and simply wanted to wake up. He asserted that he had pulled the emergency shut-off handles because he felt disoriented and claimed the pilots were not adequately attending to the situation. The United States Attorney's Office spokesperson stated that an investigation is ongoing to determine whether Mr. Emerson had been under the direct influence of a psychedelic substance during the incident.
In addition to the charges of attempted murder, Mr. Emerson faces 83 counts of reckless endangerment and one count of endangering an aircraft. The flight, carrying 80 passengers, was en route from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco, California, before being diverted to Portland, Oregon.
Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the FBI have stated that the incident is not connected to current world events and that there is no ongoing threat related to the situation. Photo yb Sam Almo-Milkin, Wikimedia commons.