An Alaska Airlines flight made an emergency diversion to Portland, Oregon, on Sunday after an off-duty pilot in the cockpit unsuccessfully tried to shut down the plane’s engines mid-flight, according to officials and a source who confirmed details to CBS News’ Kris Van Cleave. A suspect identified as Joseph Emerson was taken into custody by police and charged with attempted murder after the plane landed safely at the Portland airport, officials confirmed to CBS News.
According to online jail records from the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Emerson, 44, faces multiple charges, including 83 counts of attempted murder.
An air traffic control recording of the incident showed the pilot saying from the cockpit: “We’ve got the guy who tried to shut down the engines.”
Emerson was arrested on state charges. The FBI said it was also investigating the incident.
“There is no ongoing threat associated with this incident,” the FBI’s Portland field office said in the statement.
On Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration sent a notice to U.S. airlines saying the incident was “in no way related to current world events.” A police official told CBS News that investigators did not see any connection to terrorism.
The incident occurred aboard Alaska Airlines Flight 2059, operated by Horizon Air, Alaska Airlines said in a statement. The flight flew from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco with 80 passengers and four crew members on board, including Emerson.
The airline said an off-duty Alaska pilot, later identified by officials as Emerson, was traveling in the jump seat in the cockpit and unsuccessfully attempted to “interfere with the operation of the engines.”
The Horizon’s captain and first officer detained Emerson and landed the plane shortly before 6:30 p.m. PDT in Portland, where Emerson was taken into custody without incident, according to the airport.
“He doesn’t sound like he’s causing any trouble in the back right now, and I think he’s subdued,” the pilot said on the air traffic control recording. “Otherwise we want law enforcement as soon as we’re on the ground and parked.”
No injuries were reported, the FBI said.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg thanked him on social media to the flight crew and air traffic controllers who brought the aircraft safely to Portland. He said the FAA would focus on “any future safety considerations that arise from investigations.”
In a statement praising the pilots and flight crew, the Air Line Pilots Association called their profession “one of the most tested and scrutinized careers.” The group said pilots in North America are “continuously evaluated throughout their careers” through medical exams, random flight inspections by the FAA and other initiatives.
A Multnomah County District Court spokesman told CBS News that Emerson was being held in jail as of 4:11 a.m. PDT Monday and could appear in court as early as Tuesday.
In Portland, Transportation Security Administration officials again screened all passengers who boarded another plane bound for San Francisco, the agency said in a statement.
Alaska Airlines said, “We are grateful for the Horizon flight crew’s professional handling of the situation and appreciate our guests’ calm and patience during this event.”
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Alex Sundby