Joseph Emerson, a 44-year-old off-duty pilot, attempted to shut down the fuel supply to the engine of an Alaska Airlines flight from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco, California, on Sunday, Oct. 22.
Emerson began the flight seated behind the cockpit and carrying conversation normally.
One of the plane’s pilots said Emerson stated that he was not well. He then grabbed and pulled two handles connected to the plane’s fire-supression and fuel systems, according to prosecutors.
The pilots stopped Emerson from pulling the handles all the way and kept the plane flying. He wrestled with one of the pilots for over a minute before calmly agreeing to leave the cockpit.
“It’s crazy to think that a simple lever pulled by a pilot could have killed everyone,” said Michael Brindley, a senior communication major. “Maybe they should look into that as well.”
Having been a pilot for 22 years, Emerson was allowed to travel in the cockpit and was supposed to pilot a different flight upon landing in San Francisco. Instead, the plane made an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon, because of his actions, and Emerson was taken into custody by Port of Portland police officers.
Emerson reportedly had not slept for 40 hours and was under the influence of psychedelic mushrooms. He allegedly told police officers about his inebriation after being arrested, which Noah Horst, his attorney, denies.
Another factor that may have affected Emerson’s behavior is his reported
feelings of depression over the past six months, which stemmed from the loss of a friend.
Emerson allegedly told an officer that it was his first time trying mushrooms. He also said that he had taken them 48 hours prior to the incident and denied having taken any other medications, such as antidepressants or mood stabalizers.
After being subdued, Emerson spent the remainder of the flight seated at the back of the plane with zip ties around his wrists. Had he been successful in pulling the lever, the valve inside the plane’s wing would have closed, which would have shut off the engines’ fuel supply.
Flight attendants said they heard Emerson talking to himself, expressing regret about his actions and realizing the danger he put everyone on board in.
Shortly after making those comments, Emerson attempted to grab the handle of an emergency exit. The flight attendants were able to stop him.
Currently, Emerson is facing 83 felony counts of attempted murder, 83 counts of reckless endangerment and one count of endangering an aircraft. Horst submitted a plea of not guilty to all counts in court.
Alaska Airlines has since removed Emerson from all duties. They also released statements about both his state entering the plane and his medical certification with the Federal Aviation Administration.
Through his 22 years of service, Emerson’s certifications had never been downgraded until now. He was also given a first-class medical certification — the highest awarded certificate — at his FAA examination last month.
“This story is a perfect example of how additional forms of assistance are needed for those experiencing depression, among other mental and physical health struggles,” said Dylan Almond, a sophomore computer science major.
Alaska Airlines trains its flight attendants and gate agents to recognize indications of impairment; they say Emerson’s pre-flight behavior did not display any warning signs his ability and judgment were compromised.
“Psychedelic mushrooms, still being an illegal substance in the U.S., are usually extremely hard to dose correctly,” said Trenholm Fahy, a junior psychology major. “They probably don’t come in a bottle with clear directions on how much to take. That, combined with the fact that it was the pilot’s first time taking them, it’s no wonder that he took too much.”
Federal authorities told CNN that they do not believe the incident to be related to terrorism or any other form of motivated violence. Rather, the FBI is attempting to figure out if it was a psychedelic trip, mental health crisis or something else of that nature.
