The off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot who forced an emergency landing when he tried to turn off a plane's engines mid-flight was apparently high on magic mushrooms.
According to a criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office, 44-year-old Joseph Emerson told investigators he'd taken psychedelic 'shrooms before boarding the flight. He also told them he hadn't slept in 40 hours and believed he was having a "nervous breakdown," according to the document.
Emerson was riding in the cockpit on an October 22nd flight from Everett, Washington to San Francisco when he suddenly grabbed the plane's two red fire handles, which would have cut off fuel to the engines.
Fortunately, the flight crew stopped him before he could carry out the deed. After an emergency landing in Portland, responding officers interviewed the two pilots.
The pilots recounted that, approximately halfway between Astoria, Oregon, and Portland, after engaging with them in casual conversation, Emerson threw his headset across the cockpit and said, "I'm not OK." Then, he attempted to grab and pull two red fire handles that would have activated the plane's emergency fire suppression system and cut off fuel to its engines, according to the complaint.
A separate probable cause affidavit filed in Multnomah County shows that one pilot told investigators that pulling the handles would shut down hydraulics and fuel to the engines and that the plane would be "seconds away" from being a glider.
The pilots said they wrestled with Emerson for a few seconds for control of the aircraft before he stopped and calmly exited the cockpit. The incident lasted about 90 seconds, the pilots estimated.
After Emerson walked to the back of the aircraft, he told a flight attendant, "You need to cuff me right now or it's going to be bad," according to the affidavit. Another flight attendant said Emerson mentioned he had just lost his best friend and asked when this nightmare would end. He also said that he had "messed everything up" and "tried to kill everybody," the document shows.
Flight attendants placed Emerson in wrist restraints but during the flight's descent, he tried to grab the handle of an emergency exit. A flight attendant stopped him by placing her hands on top of his.
After landing in Portland, Emerson was arrested without further incident and booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on more than 160 state charges of attempted murder and reckless endangerment.
During an interview with Port of Portland Police, Emerson indicated he was in mental crisis and requested medical attention. He admitted to officers that "he did not feel okay while in the cockpit and felt the pilots were not paying attention and that something did not seem right," according to the affidavit.
Emerson went on to say he pulled the emergency shut-off handles because he believed he was dreaming and wanted to wake up, the document shows.
While Emerson denied taking any medication, he said he consumed "magic mushrooms" approximately 48 hours prior to the incident on the plane, that it was his first time taking the psychedelic drugs, and that he was "obviously f****d up," according to the documents. An officer noted that "he did not observe Emerson to be outwardly under the influence of intoxicants."
In addition to state charges, Emerson is also facing a federal charge of interfering with flight crew members and attendants. He remains in custody in Multnomah County.