CNN –
The off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot accused of trying to disable a plane’s engines mid-flight told investigators he believed he was dreaming and had taken “magic mushrooms” 48 hours before the incident, like according to state court records obtained by CNN.
According to authorities, 44-year-old Joseph D. Emerson attempted to restrict fuel to the plane’s engines on Sunday while the plane was en route from Washington state to San Francisco. Quick actions by the plane’s captain and first officer prevented complete engine failure, the airline said.
Emerson told investigators he had consumed ‘magic mushrooms’ “approximately 48 hours before the plane incident,” according to an affidavit filed by prosecutors. He also said he had been awake for the past 40 hours, according to a separate federal court document.
Emerson told police he thought he was dreaming and believed that pulling on the handles of a fire extinguisher – which cuts off fuel to the plane’s engines – would cause him to “wake up,” state court documents said.
Emerson was sitting in a jump seat in the cockpit, as is permitted for off-duty pilots, and a confrontation occurred when he reached for the fire controls, according to the documents.
As Emerson reached for the controls, one of the pilots “grabbed Emerson’s wrists and (the other pilot) reported that they struggled with Emerson for a few seconds before Emerson stopped and said he was OK,” the documents state documents, adding, “Emerson was unable to pull the handles all the way down before the pilots intervened.”
Emerson had experienced depression and the recent death of a friend, the documents said. He said he was having a nervous breakdown and told the flight crew he needed to be subdued, according to a separate federal criminal complaint.
It’s highly unlikely that psilocybin – sometimes called “magic mushrooms” – would still be in the pilot’s body 48 hours after ingestion, but it’s possible he felt the drug’s lingering effects, said Matt Johnson, a Johns Hopkins professor who studies psychedelics and other drugs. Johnson compared consuming mushrooms to drinking alcohol – while a person is no longer drunk the day after drinking, the hangover caused by alcohol could affect their behavior or ability to function.
It’s possible that the lingering effects of psilocybin, existing depression and sleep deprivation created a “perfect storm” in which Emerson experienced behavioral changes or derealization, Johnson said.
Derealization is a feeling of detachment from the environment. People often describe the experience as feeling like they are in a movie or a dream. “Psychotic behavior” is among the risks of taking psilocybin, particularly for people with existing psychiatric disorders, Johnson said.
Emerson was charged in federal court with interfering with a flight crew, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon said Tuesday. This indictment follows dozens of state charges filed in Oregon, including 83 counts of attempted murder, 83 counts of reckless endangerment and one count of endangering an aircraft, according to booking records. He pleaded not guilty Tuesday to all of the state’s charges.
Joseph Emerson/Facebook
Off-duty pilot Joseph D. Emerson was accused of attempting to shut down a plane’s engines mid-flight.
After the confrontation in the cockpit, Emerson was taken to the back of the plane but then tried to grab the handle of an emergency exit as the plane descended, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The flight was diverted to Portland, Oregon, where Emerson was taken into custody by Port of Portland police, the agency said in a statement.
While in custody, Emerson told a police officer that he had become depressed about six months ago, according to an affidavit written by an FBI agent and included in the federal complaint. The affidavit states that Emerson denied taking any medications, but he spoke to the responding officer about psychedelic mushrooms.
“The officer and Emerson discussed using psychedelic mushrooms and Emerson said it was the first time he had taken mushrooms,” the affidavit states.
Asked specifically whether Emerson told officers he was under the influence of mushrooms at the time of the incident, a spokesperson for the US Attorney’s Office in Oregon told CNN that it remains part of their ongoing investigation. While in custody, Emerson said he “admitted what I did,” the affidavit states. “I’m not fighting the charges you want to bring against me, boys,” he said.
Emerson is being held without bail in the Multnomah County Jail and appeared in court Tuesday wearing a blue jail uniform with his hands cuffed behind his back. His release was not addressed at Tuesday’s hearing, Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Jenna Plank said, noting that his case requires a “more robust release hearing” within five days. No attorney is listed for Emerson in online records, and CNN has been working to determine whether he has legal representation in both state and federal court.
Authorities do not believe the incident was an act of terrorism or ideologically motivated violence, a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation told CNN. Investigators believe it may have been a psychological incident and authorities are preparing for court officials to order an evaluation of the defendant’s mental state as part of the legal process, the source said.
After takeoff from Everett, Washington, Alaska Airlines Flight 2059 – operated by regional airline Horizon Air – reported a “security threat related to an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot named Emerson who was traveling in the jump seat on the flight deck.” the airline said in a statement.
In the cockpit, Emerson tried to shut down both engines of the Embraer 175 by pulling on the handles of the fire extinguisher, the airline said.
“The fire suppression system consists of a T-handle for each engine; When pulled, a valve in the wing closes to shut off fuel to the engine,” Alaska Airlines said in a statement to CNN. “After they are pulled out, there will be some residual fuel left in the line.”
The airline said the crew’s quick response to reset both handles helped restore fuel flow and prevent the engines from shutting down.
According to the affidavit, Emerson initially engaged the pilots in small talk about the weather and the aircraft. He then said, “I’m not feeling well,” and one of the pilots turned around and saw him reaching for the red fire handles, the affidavit said.
One of the pilots grabbed Emerson’s wrist while the other declared an in-flight emergency, the affidavit said. A pilot said Emerson “resisted at first” and the two “wrestled” for about half a minute before Emerson agreed to leave the cockpit.
“I think he’s under control,” one of the plane’s pilots is heard saying in an air traffic control audio recording captured by LiveATC.net. “We also want law enforcement once we are on the ground and parked.”
After “peacefully walking to the back of the plane,” Emerson said in the affidavit to a flight attendant, “You need to handcuff me right now or this is going to get bad.”
The crew handcuffed him, but during the descent, Emerson “turned toward an emergency exit door and attempted to grab the handle” and was stopped by a flight attendant, the affidavit said.
“Another flight attendant observed Emerson making statements such as ‘I screwed up’ and ‘He tried to kill everyone,'” the affidavit states. “Emerson said he had just put the lives of 84 people in danger tonight, including his own.”
When the flight landed at Portland International Airport around 6:30 p.m., Emerson was arrested by Port of Portland police officers, the port said.
No injuries were reported on the flight, the FBI said.
All passengers were later able to fly to San Francisco on a new crew and aircraft, the airline said, noting that it was “contacting each of them individually to discuss their experience and check on their well-being.”
Two passengers on the flight told CNN that the flight crew maintained a calm atmosphere on the plane during the incident.
Aubrey Gavello, one of the passengers, said she only realized something was wrong when a flight attendant announced over the loudspeaker that the plane had to land immediately.
“We didn’t know where we were going to end up and we didn’t know what was going on. But (the flight attendant) assured us we were safe,” Gavello said on CNN’s “Laura Coates Live” Monday night.
The pilot later informed passengers over the loudspeaker that there had been a “malfunction in the cockpit,” said Alex Wood, who was sitting at the front of the plane. Wood said he was wearing headphones and slept through the incident.
“I was right at the cockpit, but nothing woke me up. Nothing was loud enough, nothing was wild enough to wake me up,” Wood said.
Emerson’s neighbor Ed Yee told CNN it was “very shocking” to learn of the suspect’s alleged actions. “He seems like a really nice guy. There’s nothing unusual about him,” Yee said.
Emerson had its last FAA medical exam last month, records show. He holds a first-class medical certificate, the highest medical certificate awarded by the agency, which requires examinations every six months for pilots aged 40 and over.
According to Alaska Airlines, Emerson has been in aviation for at least two decades.
“Throughout his career, Emerson has completed his required FAA medical certifications in accordance with regulatory requirements, and at no time has his certifications been denied, suspended or revoked,” Alaska Airlines said in a statement.