--- title: "Off-Duty Pilot in Cockpit Tries to Crash Alaska Airlines Flight, Blames Mushrooms" description: "Alaska Airlines pilot Joseph D. Emerson is currently charged with 83 accounts of attempted murder and endangering an aircraft." date: "2023-10-24" modified: "2023-10-24" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/off-duty-pilot-in-cockpit-tries-to-crash-alaska-airlines-flight-blames-mushrooms" categories: - "News" --- # Off-Duty Pilot in Cockpit Tries to Crash Alaska Airlines Flight, Blames Mushrooms ![]() *Getty \AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images via Getty\* Captain Joseph D. Emerson was off-duty and was riding in the cockpit jump seat of Alaska Airlines flight 2059 on Sunday, from Seattle to San Francisco operating through Horizon Air, when he suddenly tried to shut the engines down mid-flight. Thankfully, according to the [*Wall Street Journal*](), the on-duty captain and first officer quickly subdued Emerson. New developments suggest the incident may have been linked to drug use, while the FBI has determined it was unrelated to terrorism. Emerson, 44, attempted to shut the engines down by engaging the emergency engine fire suppression system, which stops fuel to the engines. There are T-shaped handles for each engine that need to be pulled for the system to work. When Emerson tried to pull them, the captain and first officer quickly reset the handles after subduing the off-duty pilot. "After they are pulled, some residual fuel remains in the line, and the quick reaction of our crew to reset the handles restored fuel flow and prevented fuel starvation," said an Alaska Airlines spokesperson, according to the [*New York Times*](). ![]() *Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images* Per *WSJ*, Horizon's pilots told air-traffic control that the situation was a level four, which indicates an attempted, or successful, breach of the cockpit. However, they also said that Emerson was subdued and put in the back of the plane. "We’ve got the guy that tried to shut the engines down out of the cockpit, and he doesn’t sound like he’s causing any issue in the back right now," pilots said in an audio recording, per *WSJ*. The pilots reportedly said that Emerson calmed down "after one moment of going a little bit overboard." After the pilots subdued Emerson, the flight diverted and landed in Portland, Oregon, where Emerson was immediately arrested. He's booked at Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office with 83 counts of attempted murder, reckless endangerment, and the endangerment of an aircraft. It seems this incident is isolated, and that Emerson may have experienced some sort of mental break. He became a pilot in 2001 and never had his certifications revoked, nor were there any suspensions of his pilot's license. On Tuesday, an FBI agent revealed that Emerson's actions may have been influenced by psychedelic mushrooms. According to the [*Los Angeles Times*]() citing federal investigators, Emerson told authorities he had taken psychedelic mushrooms for the first time. Now, the FBI is seeking to determine whether he ingested the drug prior to the flight. The same criminal complaint claims Emerson said "I am not OK," while talking to the pilots. He was also heard saying that he put passengers' lives at risk and told flight attendants "You need to cuff me right now or it’s going to be bad." After the plane landed, Emerson reportedly admitted everything to the police and said he wouldn't fight any charges. The FBI and local law enforcement are currently investigating the incident further, with the cooperation of Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air. *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()