A former pilot for Alaska Airlines, in the U.S., accused of attempting to cut the engines of a Horizon Air flight in October 2023, Joseph David Emerson,, has pleaded guilty in federal court Friday as part of an agreement with prosecutors.
The incident occurred on October 22, 2023, aboard a Horizon Air flight from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco. Emerson, riding off-duty in the cockpit’s jump seat behind the pilot and first officer, allegedly tried to pull two red emergency handles that would have shut off fuel to the engines by activating the plane’s fire suppression system.
The flight crew subdued Emerson within seconds and diverted the plane to Portland, where it landed safely with more than 80 people on board.
According to court records, Emerson told investigators he had been despondent over a friend’s recent death, had taken psychedelic mushrooms two days earlier, and had been awake for more than 40 hours. He claimed he believed he was dreaming at the time and tried to “wake himself up” by pulling the handles.
Federal prosecutors charged Emerson with interfering with a flight crew, while a state indictment in Oregon added 83 counts of endangering another person and one count of endangering an aircraft.
Emerson initially pleaded not guilty to all charges and was released in December 2023 under conditions requiring mental health treatment, sobriety, and a prohibition against approaching aircraft.
Under the federal plea deal, prosecutors can recommend up to one year in prison, while Emerson’s attorneys plan to argue that he should serve no additional time.
In the state agreement, Emerson faces – five years of probation, 664 hours of community service (eight hours for each person endangered) and $60,569 in restitution, nearly all payable to Alaska Air Group.
Half of his required community service may be completed at Clear Skies Ahead, a pilot health nonprofit Emerson founded with his wife after his arrest. He must also undergo drug, alcohol, and mental health assessments, abstain from non-prescribed substances, and stay at least 25 feet from operable aircraft unless specifically authorized by his probation officer.
Emerson has said he’s been sober since the incident and is now focused on mental health advocacy within the aviation community.
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