Pilot Joseph David Emerson was arrested in Portland on Sunday afternoon after attempting to shut down the engines mid-flight. This Tuesday his first statements after his arrest were published. The 44-year-old pilot, who was off duty, told authorities he was under the influence of hallucinogenic mushrooms. The police report also states that Emerson allegedly said he wanted to “kill everyone” before lunging at the emergency levers. After being subdued by the pilot and first officer, the Horizon Air aircraft made an emergency landing in Oregon City. Emerson now faces 83 counts of attempted murder.
Emerson, 44, was separated from duty indefinitely. Alaska Airlines says it is reviewing its options with lawyers. The pilot has told federal authorities that he will not put any obstacles in the way of the legal proceedings against him. He was formally charged this afternoon. He appeared wearing a light blue jumpsuit, his hands tied behind his back and his head shaved.
The Federal Aviation Administration report said Emerson had symptoms of depression six months ago. For treatment, he began taking hallucinogenic mushrooms, an alternative therapy that has become popular in several cities on the West Coast of the United States. Psilocybin is illegal in most parts of the country, but states like Oregon have recently legalized it. A few days ago, California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a law aimed at decriminalizing the possession of this type of psychedelics, which were approved by health authorities in 2018 for their use in some therapies.
Alaska Airlines, owner of Horizon Air, the airline where the incident occurred, said Emerson approached the gate minutes before the gate closed to request a seat on Flight 2059. I noticed some signs of deterioration that Emerson reported on would have prevented flies,” said a statement released on Tuesday.
Joseph David Emerson, 44, appears in the background during his first appearance before legal authorities.HANDOUT (via Portal)
According to aviation authorities, Emerson was sitting in the cockpit behind the commander and first officer of the ship, which was scheduled to make the journey between Everett, north of Seattle, and San Francisco. At the beginning of the flight, the pilots assured that their colleague was fine and chatted about banal topics such as the weather and the plane they were traveling on.
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Minutes after takeoff, as the ship flew over the city of Astoria, Oregon, Emerson took off his headphones and tossed them at the controls. “I’m not feeling well,” he said, according to the pilots’ statement. Emerson then wanted to operate some emergency levers that would act as fire protection and close the valves in the blades that carry fuel to the turbines. “Our crew’s quick response in resetting these levers ensured no loss of engine power,” Alaska Airlines says.
Emerson told authorities he behaved that way because he thought he was dreaming and wanted to wake up. One of the pilots struggled with him, grabbing his wrists until Emerson calmed down. After the incident, Emerson was removed from the cockpit and placed in the rear of the aircraft. The crew bound his hands with tape and tied him to one of the seats reserved for staff with a seatbelt. This Tuesday, the airline said that, according to a flight attendant there, Emerson tried to open the emergency exit even when the ship was already making an emergency descent to Portland.
The pilot said when he was arrested that he had not slept for more than 40 hours and thought he was having a nervous breakdown. In the cockpit, he assured authorities, he assumed the pilots were not paying attention to the flight. Emerson has cooperated with authorities at all times and has denied him the right to an attorney, which is why he faces the charges that local and federal authorities will bring against him.
Alaska Airlines has reminded that the Federal Ministry of Transport has a policy to prevent doping for all flight personnel. These are surprise tests before or after flights or examinations where there is a suspicion that a pilot may be drunk. The airline says it has zero tolerance for the abuse of any substance. However, because Emerson was off duty, he was not subject to these doping tests.
Emerson lived in Pleasant Hill, a town east of San Francisco. Neighbors of the pilot who died due to his reckless behavior expressed surprise after the events emerged on Monday. In his neighborhood he is known as a family man and father of two children. He taught flight courses as a certified flight instructor for five years. “He’s a completely normal guy,” Adam Silverthorne, the NRI’s vice president, told the newspaper. “I don’t know what’s going on in his life,” Silverthorne added to local press.
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