CNN –
An off-duty pilot who sat in the cockpit of an Alaska Airlines plane en route to San Francisco on Sunday faces dozens of attempted murder charges after he tried to shut down the plane’s engines mid-flight, authorities say.
The suspect, identified as Alaska Airlines pilot Joseph D. Emerson, 44, attempted to cut off fuel to the engines, but quick action by the plane’s captain and first officer prevented the engines from shutting down completely failed, the airline said, adding that Emerson had overwhelmed the flight crew.
The flight had to be diverted to Portland, Oregon, where the suspect was taken into custody by Port of Portland police, a statement from the port said.
Emerson was charged in Oregon with 83 counts of attempted murder, 83 counts of reckless endangerment and one count of endangering an aircraft, booking records show.
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’s Josh Campbell. The source indicated that the suspect may face additional federal charges.
Here’s what we know.
After taking off from Everett, Washington, on Sunday, Alaska Airlines Flight 2059 – operated by regional carrier Horizon Air – reported a “security threat related to an off-duty Alaskan Airlines pilot, identified as Captain Joseph Emerson, traveling on the flight. “Deck jump seat,” the airline said in a statement.
Pilots sometimes sit in a “jump seat” in the cockpit when traveling in an official capacity or commuting between airports.
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.
“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.
The plane was at cruising altitude when the incident occurred, Capt. Mike Karn, senior manager of aviation safety for American Airlines, said in a memo distributed to his airline.
The flight crew arrested the suspect and diverted the plane to Portland International Airport, the Port of Portland said in a statement.
“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.”
When the flight landed in Portland around 6:30 p.m., the suspect 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.”
Emerson was being held at the Multnomah County Detention Center while both the FBI and Port of Portland police investigated the incident, authorities said.
The FBI’s Portland field office confirmed its investigation in a statement Monday and assured travelers that there is “no ongoing threat associated with this incident.”
The Federal Aviation Administration also said it was assisting local law enforcement with the investigation.
The FAA said it had notified other airlines of preliminary details of the incident and informed the airlines that the incident was unrelated to “current world events” – apparently referring to the war in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas.
Passengers describe their emergency landing
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 “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.
After the plane landed, about five police officers boarded the plane and escorted the suspect off the plane, Gavello recalled. She noted that the suspect was calm and cooperative and his hands were secured with zip ties.
Aubrey Gavello/LOCAL NEWS X/TMX
A photo taken by passenger Aubrey Gavello shows police aboard Flight 2059 after it made an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon, on Sunday.
“Thanks to the Alaska crew for keeping everyone calm,” Gavello said.
“Everything was handled very well,” Wood said.
The couple said they didn’t realize the gravity of the situation Monday when they woke up to headlines about the suspect’s attempt to shut down the plane’s engines.
“I’m honestly grateful that we didn’t know anything when they rebooked us and put us on a second plane,” Gavello said. “I don’t know if I would have felt comfortable doing this if we had all the information.”
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.
According to information from Alaskan Airlines, Emerson has been in aviation for at least two decades.
He first joined Alaska Air Group in 2001 as a first officer on Horizon. In 2012, Emerson left Horizon and joined Virgin America as a pilot.
After Alaska Airlines acquired Virgin America in 2016, Emerson became a first officer at Alaska and worked about three more years to become a pilot for the airline, the airline’s statement said.
“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.
FAA records show Emerson held certification as an Airline Transport Pilot with the authority to fly the Airbus A320, Boeing 737, Canadair Regional Jet and De Havilland Dash 8. He did not have certification to fly the ERJ 175, according to those records, which were the aircraft in use during Sunday’s incident.