Pilot Joseph David Emerson was arrested Sunday afternoon in Portland after attempting to shut down the engines in mid-flight. This Tuesday his first statements after his arrest were made public. The 44-year-old pilot, who was off duty, told authorities that he was under the influence of hallucinogenic mushrooms. The police report also claims that Emerson allegedly said he wanted to “kill everyone” before lunging for the emergency levers. After being subdued by the pilot and first officer, the Horizon Air plane made an emergency landing in Oregon City. Emerson now faces 83 counts of attempted murder.
Emerson, 44, has been separated from service indefinitely. Alaska Airlines says he is considering his options with lawyers. The pilot has told federal authorities that he will not put obstacles in the judicial process that has been initiated against him. This afternoon he has been formally charged. He appeared dressed in a light blue jumpsuit, his hands cuffed behind his back and his head shaved.
The report from federal aviation authorities states that Emerson had symptoms of depression six months ago. As treatment, she 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 of the country, but states like Oregon have recently legalized it. A few days ago, the governor of California, Gavin Newsom, vetoed legislation that sought to decriminalize the possession of this type of psychedelics, which received approval from health regulators in 2018 for their use in some therapies.
Alaska Airlines, owner of Horizon Air, the airline where the incident occurred, said that Emerson approached the gate minutes before the doors closed to request a seat on flight 2059. “At no time during the check in or the boarding process, our staff observed any signs of deterioration that would have prevented Emerson from flying,” a statement said. published this Tuesday.
According to the narrative made by the aeronautical authorities, Emerson sat in the cockpit behind the commander and first officer of the ship, which would make the journey between Everett, north of Seattle, and San Francisco. The pilots assured him that his colleague was fine as the flight began and he chatted about mundane topics such as the weather and the plane they were traveling on.
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Minutes after takeoff, when the ship was flying over the city of Astoria, Oregon, Emerson took off his headphones and threw them at the controls. “I’m not well,” he said according to the pilots’ testimony. Emerson then wanted to pull some emergency levers that serve as a firewall, as they close the valves in the wings that bring fuel to the turbines. “Our crew’s quick reaction to reset these levers ensured that no engine power was lost,” says Alaska Airlines.
Emerson told authorities that he acted that way because he thought he was dreaming and wanted to wake up. One of the pilots struggled with him and grabbed his wrists, until Emerson calmed down. After the incident, Emerson was removed from the cockpit and taken to the back of the plane. The crew tied his hands with plastic tape and tied him with a seat belt to one of the seats reserved for staff. This Tuesday, the airline stated that even there, when the ship was already making an emergency descent to Portland, Emerson tried to open the emergency exit, according to one of the flight attendants.
The pilot testified during his arrest that he had not slept in more than 40 hours and thought he was having a nervous breakdown. In the cockpit, he assured authorities, he considered that the pilots were not paying attention to the flight. At all times, Emerson cooperated with authorities and denied his right to an attorney, which is why he will face the charges that local and federal authorities will bring against him.
Alaska Airlines has recalled that the Federal Department of Transportation has a policy to prevent doping of all air personnel. This involves surprise tests before or after flights or examinations when it is suspected that a pilot may be intoxicated. The airline explains that they have zero tolerance for the abuse of any substance. Emerson, however, was off duty, so he was not required to be subject to these doping tests.
Emerson was a resident of Pleasant Hill, a city east of San Francisco. The neighbors of the pilot, who was blamed for his reckless behavior, have shown surprise after the events were reported on Monday. In his neighborhood he is known as a family man and father of two children. For five years he had been teaching flight classes as a certified instructor. “He is a completely normal guy,” Adam Silverthorne, the NRI vice president, told the newspaper. “I don’t know what’s going on in his life,” Silverthorne added to the local press.
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