Off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot charged with attempted murder after trying to shut down plane engines midflight

[yuna628 9,680]

Quote

An off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot has been charged with over 80 counts of attempted murder after he allegedly attempted to shut off a plane's engines midflight on Sunday, causing the flight to divert to Portland.

Flight 2059 took off from Everett, Washington, and was bound for San Francisco, Alaska Airlines said in a statement. It was operated by Alaska Airlines subsidiary Horizon Air, but was diverted due to a “credible security” threat linked to a person in the cockpit’s flight deck jump seat.

 

"The jump seat occupant unsuccessfully attempted to disrupt the operation of the engines," the airline said. "The Horizon Captain and First Officer quickly responded, engine power was not lost and the crew secured the aircraft without incident."

The flight crew followed “appropriate FAA procedures and guidance from air traffic control” in landing at Portland International Airport. The flight took off just before 5:30 p.m. local time and landed about an hour later in Portland, according to FlightAware data. 

Audio of the plane's communications with air traffic control reveal an attempt to turn off the plane's engines.

“As a heads up. We’ve got the guy that tried to shut the engines down out of the cockpit. It doesn’t sound like he’s got any issue in the back right now. I think he’s subdued," the pilot of the plane told air traffic control. "Other than that we want law enforcement as soon as we get on the ground and parked.” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/man-charged-attempted-murder-trying-shut-alaska-airlines-engines-fligh-rcna121681

 

Well he sounds nice. I hope he goes away for a long long time.

[TBoneTX 45,537]

Holy mackerel.  Sounds like he has no defense and will be locked up in the hoosegow for quite a while.

[Nature Boy 2.0 8,376]

30 minutes ago, yuna628 said:

 

Well he sounds nice. I hope he goes away for a long long time.

Hey Ma'am long time. Hope all is well 

[yuna628 9,680]

7 minutes ago, Nature Boy 2.0 said:

Hey Ma'am long time. Hope all is well 

Hey NB! 🌹 It has been a long time, hope all is well with you too! I'm doing okay. Hubby just got his citizenship last week, it's so amazing to never have to worry about this stuff ever again.

 

 

 

[yuna628 9,680]

Oh my god. Don't do drugs kids.

 

Quote

When police interviewed 44-year-old Joseph Emerson after the plane was diverted to Portland on Sunday, he told them he thought he was having a "nervous breakdown" and had not slept in 40 hours. He denied taking any medication, according to the affidavit, but told police he became depressed six months ago and talked to an officer about the use of psychedelic mushrooms, stating that it was his first time taking mushrooms. 

"I didn't feel okay. It seemed like the pilots weren't paying attention to what was going on. They didn't... it didn't seem right," Emerson told police, according to the affidavit. He later added "I pulled both emergency shut off handles because I thought I was dreaming and I just wanna wake up."

It's unclear whether Emerson was actively under the influence of psychedelic mushrooms during the flight; the affidavit does not mention any evidence one way or the other beyond Emerson's own comments to police.

https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/alaska-airlines-pilot-arrest-joseph-emerson-psychedelic-mushrooms/283-5d9c6df6-09c1-4f99-899b-825c3d072312

[TBoneTX 45,537]

Dude is subject to 167 total state/Federal charges.  Don't pop 'shrooms.

[Ban Hammer 13,403]

5 minutes ago, TBoneTX said:

Dude is subject to 167 total state/Federal charges.  Don't pop 'shrooms.

perhaps he had a different interpretation of "mile high club"

[TBoneTX 45,537]

Dated, but still good:

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WHAT TIME IS IT?

A self-impressed businessman was afraid that his flight would land too late for him to make his business appointment.  He strode forward, banged on the cockpit door, and demanded of the pilot, "What time is it?"

The pilot responded, "According to which airline?"

The businessman said, "What difference does it make?  What time is it?"

The pilot again responded, "According to which airline?"

The businessman became irate and said, "Just tell me what time it is, or I'll come in there and wring your neck!"

The pilot consulted his watch, then said, "OK -- on Eastern, it's 13:30; on United, it's 1:30; on Braniff, it's Wednesday; and on Ozark, it's June!"

[TBoneTX 45,537]

Update on the Pilot Who Tried to Bring Down Alaska Airlines Plane With 83 People on Board

 

A lot has happened since October, when off-duty pilot Joesph Emerson took magic mushrooms and then bummed a ride in the cockpit of an Alaska Airlines flight in Everett, Wash.  [...]

 

https://pjmedia.com/victoria-taft/2023/12/12/the-update-on-the-pilot-who-tried-to-bring-down-alaska-air-plane-is-a-real-head-shaker-n4924677