Off-duty pilot who allegedly tried to cut engines on jet facing federal charge

An off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot who allegedly tried to shut off the engines of a regional jet mid-flight is now facing a federal charge in addition to dozens of state counts of attempted murder.

Joseph David Emerson, 44, of Pleasant Hill, Calif., was charged with interference with flight crew members in the U.S. District Court in Oregon on Monday.

Federal prosecutors allege Emerson — who was authorized to ride in the cockpit’s jump seat — was having a casual conversation with the captain and first officer when he said, “I’m not OK,” and tried to grab two red handles that activate the plane’s fire suppression system and cut off fuel to its engines.

Emerson later told responding officers he believed he was having a “nervous breakdown,” had not slept in 40 hours and admitted to taking psychedelic mushrooms for the first time, court filings said.

One of the pilots then grabbed Emerson’s wrist while the other pilot declared an in-flight emergency, according to court filings. An initial struggle ensued between Emerson and the pilots before he “quickly settled down” and left the cockpit, federal prosecutors wrote.

The flight, with over 80 people onboard, departed from Everett, Wash., shortly before 5:30 p.m. Sunday and was expected to land in San Diego, but the two pilots safely diverted the plane to Portland, Ore., due to the incident.

Audio recordings of the conversation between the pilots and air traffic controllers, first reported by The Seattle Times, revealed the pilots requested law enforcement to meet them when they landed in Portland.

Flight attendants sat Emerson in a flight attendant seat in the back of the aircraft and placed cuffs on Emerson’s wrists, court filings said. While the flight was descending, Emerson tried to grab the handle before a flight attendant stopped him, prosecutors said.

Upon landing and interviewing with authorities, Emerson was taken to the Port of Portland Police Department where he asked to waive his right to an attorney, telling authorities, “I’m admitting to what I did. I’m not fighting any charges you want to bring against me, guys,” according to filings.

Emerson was also “heard saying he had just put 84 peoples’ lives at risk tonight including his own,” filings said.

Emerson was separately charged with 83 counts of reckless endangerment and one count of endangering an aircraft early Monday morning, according to the Multnomah County (Ore.) Sheriff’s Office booking report.

The passenger jet was a 76-seat Horizon Air Embraer 175, according to The Associated Press. Alaska Airlines operations Horizon.