Passengers on an Alaska Airlines flight where a pilot attempted to crash the plane have described their experiences on board the plane.
• Also read: 83 Murder Attempts: Pilot attempts to shut off aircraft engines mid-flight
The suspect, Joseph Emerson, a pilot from the same company, was not on duty but had a seat in the cockpit.
The flight took off from Washington to San Francisco.
Emerson was en route to San Francisco to pilot another flight on a 737 aircraft, officials told media outlet Unilad.
When the plane was at an altitude of 35,000 feet, Emerson allegedly jumped to the control panel and attempted to activate the fire suppression systems.
Fortunately for the 83 people on board, his attempt was unsuccessful.
The Suspect, Joseph Emerson | Facebook
Passengers testified about what happened on board the plane, and fortunately many never knew what was going on in the cabin.
One traveler even said he had no idea how serious the incident was until he landed.
“We had no idea what was happening until the flight attendant spoke over the loudspeaker and announced that there was an emergency and the plane needed to land immediately,” Aubrey Gavallo told ABC News.
“About 15 minutes later she came back and said there was a medical emergency,” the passenger added.
Another passenger, Alex Wood, also said the crew clarified that “there was a disturbance in the cockpit.”
The plane was diverted to Portland, Oregon, where it landed.
The suspect, Joseph Emerson, was escorted off the plane and arrested.
According to passenger Aubrey Gavallo, a flight attendant told the suspect, “It’s going to be okay, it’s okay, we’re going to get you off the plane.”
“It was very professional, the process was very calm and we didn’t really know what was going on until we landed,” another witness added.
Once everyone was safe, staff quickly informed passengers of the incident.
“After we landed and the man was escorted out, the flight attendant spoke into the microphone and said clearly and simply, ‘He had a nervous breakdown.’ We had to get him off the plane immediately.”
The pilot was charged with 83 counts of attempted murder, as well as 83 counts of reckless endangerment and one count of endangering an aircraft.
Alaska Airlines also confirmed that the plane’s power was never interrupted and that all passengers and crew landed safely.
“All passengers on board were able to continue on a later flight,” it said.
Separately, the airline said: “The incident is being investigated by law enforcement,” and the FBI added: “There is no ongoing threat associated with this incident.”
The suspect, Joseph Emerson, was arrested by the Portland Harbor Police Department and is convicted of 83 counts of attempted murder and 83 counts of endangering others.