Attempted murder charges for off-duty pilot after he 'tried to shut down engine'

23 October 2023 , 21:23

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The off-duty pilot was on board an Alaska Airlines Horizon Air plane when he attempted to shut down the engines (Image: Getty Images)

An off-duty pilot who allegedly attempted to shut down a plane's engines mid-flight has been charged with 83 counts of attempted murder.

44-year-old Alaska Airlines pilot Joseph David Emerson has been named as the person on board a Horizon Air flight bound for San Francisco, California, from Everett, Washington when it had to be diverted to Portland, Oregon, on Sunday. The diversion was due to a "credible security threat related to an authorised occupant in the flight deck jump seat" on the Embraer 175 regional jet.

The off-duty pilot is said to have attempted to pull the fire extinguisher handles on the engines according to preliminary information obtained by investigators. Emerson was then overwhelmed by flight screw who tried to subdue him before he was handcuffed to a seat, said a federal official.

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A recording of communication between the crew on board the flight and air traffic control revealed a pilot saying: "Just a heads up. 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 issues in the back right now, and I think he's subdued."

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The pilot was also heard requesting police presence "as soon as we get on the ground and parked". The incident came around an hour into the flight, with police meeting Emerson as they touched down in Portland.

The flight was diverted to Portland, Oregon, an hour after taking off from Everett, Washington (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

He has been charged with 83 counts of attempted murder, 83 counts of reckless endangerment, a misdemeanour, and one felony count of endangering an aircraft, according to the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office. An FAA pilot database lists Emerson as a certified pilot who received a medical clearance last month.

Emerson was en route to San Francisco on Horizon Air flight 2059 which took off from Seattle Paine Field International Airport at 5.23pm on Sunday. He was due to be part of the crew of a 737, according to officials.

Alaska Airlines, which owns Horizon Air, said the off-duty pilot was sitting in the flight deck jump seat, located in the cockpit, and "unsuccessfully attempted to disrupt the operation of the engines." Off-duty pilots will sometimes ride in the cockpit's jump seat while travelling to another airport, or it can e used by other flight crew or safety inspectors assessing pilots.

The off-duty pilot was sat in the cockpit of the plane when he attempted to pull the fire extinguisher on the engines (Getty Images)

The flight's captain and first officer "quickly responded" according to Alaska Airlines, who added that engine power was not lost and the crew managed to secure the aircraft without incident. The airline confirmed in a statement that "all passengers on board were able to travel on a later flight."

"We are grateful for the professional handling of the situation by the Horizon flight crew and appreciate our guests' calm and patience throughout this event," added Alaska Airlines. It's thought there were around 80 people on board the aircraft at the time of the incident.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has told airlines the incident is "not connected" to "current world events". However, they urged airlines and crews to "maintain vigilance".

The incident is being investigated by the Port of Portland Police Department and the FBI, Alaska Airlines said. In a statement, the FBI confirmed it is investigating and said it "can assure the travelling public there is no continuing threat related to this incident."

Fiona Leishman