In a startling mid-flight incident, an off-duty pilot of Alaska Airlines was accused of attempting to disable the plane’s engines, as mentioned in the state court records. Joseph D. Emerson, aged 44, was reported to have attempted this act during a flight from Washington state to San Francisco. The in-flight drama that unfolded was managed effectively by the aircraft’s captain and first officer, preventing the engines from entirely shutting down.
As per the documents filed by prosecutors, Emerson confessed to having consumed ‘magic mushrooms’, a psychedelic substance, approximately 48 hours before the incident. He disclosed that he was hallucinating, believing he was in a dream, and pulling the handles of a fire extinguishing system, which shuts the fuel supply to the engines, would cause him to wake up. Emerson also revealed that he had been awake for the preceding 40 hours.
Emerson was occupying a jump seat in the cockpit, a privilege extended to off-duty pilots. Alarm bells rang when he tried to reach for the fire controls, which led to a brief scuffle with the flight crew. Emerson, however, was unsuccessful in his attempts to pull down the handles entirely as the pilots were swift to intervene.
The court documents indicate that Emerson had been struggling with depression and recently faced the bereavement of a friend, resulting in a nervous breakdown. He urgently requested the flight crew to subdue him immediately.
Even though the psychedelic substance “magic mushrooms” or psilocybin might not remain in one’s system after 48 hours, it’s possible that the lingering effects coupled with existing depression and sleep deprivation could have triggered a severe behavioral shift. This potentially induced a state called derealization— a disconcerting condition where individuals feel disconnected from their surroundings or have a feeling of living in a dream or a movie.
In compliance with state charges filed in Oregon, Emerson faces multiple accusations, including 83 felony counts of attempted murder, 83 counts of reckless endangerment, and one count of endangering an aircraft. Following this event, he was charged with interfering with a flight crew by the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Post the cockpit commotion, Emerson attempted to open the emergency exit during the plane’s descent. He was subsequently apprehended at Portland, Oregon, when the flight was diverted. While in custody, Emerson admitted to his consumption of psychedelic mushrooms and confessed his crime.
Although currently held without bail in Multnomah County Jail, Emerson appeared in court, sporting a blue jail uniform and hands restrained behind his back. The issue of his release was deferred to a more comprehensive hearing that is scheduled for the upcoming week.
Authorities have ruled out terrorism or ideologically driven violence and presume a mental health episode as the potential cause for this incident. The investigation continues, with authorities preparing for a court-ordered psychological assessment of the defendant as part of the legal proceedings.
As the ordeal unfolded, the passengers were unaware of the critical situation. Two passengers commended the crew for maintaining calm, stating that they were not aware of the issue until an announcement of an impending immediate landing. The passengers were later able to continue their journey after a change of crew and aircraft.
Joseph Emerson, who has an experience spanning two decades according to Alaska Airlines, holds the highest-level first-class medical certificate from FAA. Despite his recent actions, his neighbor, Ed Yee, described Emerson as a ‘nice guy’, emphasizing his disbelief over the incident.
