What Happened? –

In one of those shocking aviation safety cases, an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot was accused of attempting to shut off the plane’s engines while riding in the cockpit jump seat of a commercial flight.

It occurred during the flight of Horizon Air, operated by Alaska Airlines, a regional carrier, flying from Everett, Washington to San Francisco.

✈️ Who Was the Pilot?

The accused was Joseph David Emerson, a 44-year-old pilot with years of flying experience.

He was not in control of the plane at the time of the crash; he was off-duty and sitting in the jump seat, an extra cockpit seat utilized by on-duty pilots who are traveling.

What was the cause of the behavior?

According to investigators and court documents, Emerson said he had taken psychedelic “magic” mushrooms about 48 hours before the flight.

He reportedly hadn’t slept for two days and was suffering from:

Hallucinations

Panic

Confusion

unreal, as if dreaming or not real life

He later said he felt like he was “having a nervous breakdown.”

Mushrooms act on the serotonin receptors in the brain, distorting perception and causing extreme anxiety; in rare occasions, loss of judgment can occur, especially with the admixture of exhaustion.

⚠️ What He Attempted to Do

As the flight was cruising uneventfully, Emerson suddenly reached up and attempted to pull two emergency engine shutoff handles called fire suppression handles.

If successfully pulled:

Fuel lines to the engines close

Engines shut down

The aircraft may engage glide mode.

Pilots have little time to recover, and the situation becomes highly hazardous.

The captain and the first officer wasted no time in acting.

Air Disaster ✈️ How the Crew Prevented Disaster

The pilots on duty:

Seized Emerson’s hands before he could pull the handles fully.

Physically restrained him inside the cockpit.

Pulled him out of the cockpit and strapped him into the cabin with assistance from crew.

The flight attendants watched him continuously as he reached for an exit door numerous times.

Since the men removed Emerson in a hurry and did not pull the handles out, the engines continued to function normally.

The airplane was diverted to Portland International Airport, where the police arrested him.

???? Legal Charges

Emerson was indicted on more than 80 counts of:

Federal charges

Interference with a flight crew

Attempting to endanger an aircraft

State charges

83 counts of attempted murder-one for each person on board

Prosecutors treated the event as extremely serious because a mass-casualty crash could have happened if the engines had been shut down over open air.

Toxicology & Statements

Emerson did not appear intoxicated and said to police:

“I thought I was dreaming.”

He was “not trying to hurt anyone,” but wanted to “wake up.”

He confessed that taking mushrooms had triggered intense psychological effects.

Psychedelic mushrooms happen to be illegal at the federal level and are strictly forbidden for pilots due to safety concerns.

Airline & FAA Response

After the incident,

Alaska Airlines started keeping an even closer eye on its pilots’ mental states.

The FAA reminded pilots about current restrictions on drug use and encouraged safety reporting.

Airlines reviewed cockpit-access rules for off-duty pilots.

Alaska Airlines said Emerson had no previous safety infractions and that he had passed all of his drug tests, as airlines conduct random screenings.

Why This Incident Shocked the Aviation World

This case raised concerns about:

Pilot mental health

Long hours of work, stress, sleep disturbance, and personal problems may have their impact on aeronauts.

✔ Use of psychedelic drugs

Even though psychedelics happen to be a new socially discussed drug, for pilots, such substances could be extremely dangerous because it is important for them to retain total cognitive and emotional stability.

✔ Access to the cockpit

Airlines began considering whether off-duty pilots should have unrestricted seating in the cockpit.

✈️ Did the Passengers Know?

For the most part of the passengers, the situation was not totally considered as bad during the flight itself.

They were told the flight was being diverted because of a “medical emergency.”

Only when they landed did they learn what had happened.

Terrorism or sabotage-which is what this was considered?

The authorities did not classify the incident as terrorism because :

For there was no political motive

Emerson did not mean to hurt anyone on purpose.

He was having a drug-induced breakdown of his mind.

But it was treated as a serious air threat nonetheless.

Overview (Very Short) An Alaska Air off-duty pilot, who was on mushrooms, attempted to shut off the engines mid-flight. Pilots immediately stopped him, and what could have been a disaster was avoided. The plane touched down without incident. He was charged with dozens of attempted murder and aviation endangerment crimes. This case once more raised the highly controversial issues of pilot mental health and use of drugs.