Airline 'disturbed' pilot on magic mushrooms when 'he tried to shut off engines'

25 October 2023 , 09:52

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Captain Joseph Emerson has been charged with 83 counts of attempted murder (Image: REX/Shutterstock)

Alaska Airlines is "deeply disturbed" to hear claims a pilot was on magic mushrooms when "he tried to shut off the plane's engines", it said in a statement.

Joseph Emerson, 44, has pleaded not guilty to 83 counts of attempted murder and one count of endangering an aircraft on Tuesday after he was accused of trying to shut the plane's engines mid-flight, according to court documents. He is also accused of trying to grab the handle of an emergency exit while flight attendants were detaining him.

According to a flight attendant, the San Francisco-bound pilot said he "tried to kill everybody" after admitting he took "magic mushrooms" 48 hours before the trip. He had been struggling with depression and said he was having a "nervous breakdown". It is also claimed he hadn't slept in 40 hours. "I pulled both emergency shut-off handles because I thought I was dreaming and I just wanna wake up," Emerson told officers on the ground, court documents state.

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Joseph Emerson is accused of taking "magic mushrooms" 48 hours before the flight (REX/Shutterstock)

"I don't understand why you're showing me so much kindness, I'm obviously f****d up," Emerson told the officer, according to the affidavit. The officer noted that Emerson didn't appear to be "outwardly under the influence of intoxicants."

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Alaska Airlines said in a statement on Tuesday it was "deeply disturbed" by Emerson's actions and admitted he didn't appear to be impaired before take off.

"On October 22, Emerson approached Horizon Air Gate Agents overseeing the boarding process for Flight 2059. Following well-established, FAA-mandated practices to authorize a jump-seat passenger, our Gate Agent confirmed that Emerson was an off-duty pilot for Alaska Airlines. He was approved to join the flight as a passenger and was seated in the flight deck jump seat. All Gate Agents and Flight Attendants are trained to identify signs and symptoms of impairment.

"At no time during the check-in or boarding process did our Gate Agents or flight crew observe any signs of impairment that would have led them to prevent Emerson from flying on Flight 2059.

"The details in the DOJ affidavit describing the actions of our flight crew are consistent with our understanding of what occurred based on debriefings with each member of the flight crew. Upon exiting the flight deck, both Flight Attendants confirmed that Emerson was escorted by a Flight Attendant to the rear of the aircraft where Emerson was placed in wrist restraints and belted into the aft jump seat. Our crew also confirmed that Emerson attempted to grab the handle of the emergency exit during the aircraft’s descent before being stopped by a Flight Attendant.

The incident happened on an Alaska Airlines flight (AFP via Getty Images)

"The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has a mandatory drug testing program for on-duty crew members that is administered by all airlines, including Alaska and Horizon consistent with our zero-tolerance policy for any substance abuse. This can include random testing before or after a flight, as well as reasonable suspicion testing of on-duty Pilots and Flight Attendants.

"On October 22, Emerson was removed from service indefinitely and relieved from all duties at Alaska Airlines. Consistent with our pilots’ collective bargaining agreement, we are consulting with our partners in labour regarding his employment status.

"We are deeply proud of our Horizon flight crew and their quick actions both in the flight deck and in the rear of the aircraft. Working together, consistent with their training, they performed their critical roles exceptionally well, representing the best of their profession."

Pilots are required to undergo psychological screening as part of their regularly scheduled medical exams. There have been crashes that investigators believe were deliberately caused by pilots. Authorities said the copilot of a Germanwings jet that crashed in the French Alps in 2015 had practiced putting the plane into a dive.

Emerson took his most recent exam in September, Federal Aviation Administration records show — but according to the charging documents, he had long been struggling with depression. Emerson was to remain in state custody pending an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Portland, the U.S. attorney’s office said in a statement.

Liam Buckler