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An off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot attempted to shut down the engines of a San Francisco-bound flight on Sunday by setting off the plane’s fire suppression system, according to new information from the airline.
Joseph David Emerson, 44, was sitting in the jump seat in the plane’s cockpit when he tried to activate the system, which consists of two T-handles that can cut off fuel to the engines. The captain and first officer on the flight deck restrained Emerson and maneuvered him out of the cockpit, the airline said.
The flight was diverted to Portland International Airport, where Emerson was detained. He is charged with 83 counts of attempted murder, 83 counts of reckless endangerment and one count of endangering an aircraft. His first appearance is scheduled for Tuesday in a Portland-area courtroom.
It was not clear Tuesday why Emerson took such action. Alaska Airlines said he has completed medical certifications required by the Federal Aviation Administration throughout his career, adding that no certifications have been denied, suspended or revoked.
“Our crew responded without hesitation to a difficult and highly unusual situation and we are incredibly proud and grateful for their skillful actions,” the airline said in a statement.
Off-duty pilot faces attempted murder charge after flight diverted
The FBI, along with the Port of Portland Police Department and the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, are involved in the investigation, but no federal charges have been filed.
According to FAA records, Emerson received his last medical exam in September. The FAA requires pilots to undergo medical exams every six months to five years, depending on their age and the type of flight they perform.
Flight 2059 departed Paine Field in Everett, Washington, bound for San Francisco with 80 passengers and four crew members on board. Emerson was sitting in the jump seat, an additional seat in the cockpit generally reserved for certain FAA, National Transportation Safety Board employees or crew members.
The flight was operated by Horizon Air, a regional subsidiary of Alaska Airlines.
According to an audio recording posted on LiveATC.net, a pilot told air traffic controllers, “We have the guy who tried to turn off the engines out of the cockpit and he doesn’t sound like he’s causing any problems in the back right.” Now . I think he’s subdued.”
Emerson, of Pleasant Hill, Calif., about 30 miles east of San Francisco, joined Alaska Airlines in 2001 as a first officer, the airline said. In June 2012, he left the company to join Virgin America as a pilot. Following Alaska’s acquisition of Virgin America in 2016, Emerson returned to the airline and became a captain in 2019.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the FAA will review future safety considerations that may arise from investigations into the incident.
Robert Sumwalt, a former airline pilot and former chairman of the NTSB, said he hoped the incident would not prompt authorities to ban jump seat rides.
“There have been thousands of flights and the system works very well all the time,” said Sumwalt, now executive director of the Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. “I hope this doesn’t lead to an overreaction.”
Following the incident, American Airlines pilots received a message from the airline’s chief aviation safety manager informing them of the incident and asking pilots to “please remain vigilant and maintain heightened situational awareness.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.