AN off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot has been charged with 83 counts of attempted murder after allegedly trying to shut off a flight’s engines mid-air.
Alaska Airlines flight 2059 was diverted to Portland, Oregon, on Sunday afternoon after police say Joseph David Emerson caused a security disturbance in the cockpit.
An Alaska Airlines flight was diverted to Portland, Oregon, on Sunday after an off-duty pilot tried to turn off the engines mid-flightGetty
2020 Getty ImagesPolice arrested Joseph David Emerson, 44[/caption]
Port of Portland Police said Emerson, an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot, was seated in the jump seat of the flight deck when he tried to shut off the engines.
The flight, traveling from Everett, Washington to San Francisco, reported a credible security threat related to Portland air traffic controllers just after 5:30 pm on Sunday.
“I’ll just give you a heads-up. We’ve got the guy that tried to shut the engines down out of the cockpit,” the pilot told Portland air traffic control, according to audio obtained by the Seattle Times.
“It doesn’t seem like he’s causing any issue at the back. I think he’s subdued.
“Other than that, we want law enforcement as soon as we get on the ground and parked.”
Per Alaska Airlines, off-duty pilots can catch a free flight home if seats are available.
In this case, the jump seat of the flight deck was the only seat available.
Emerson was charged with 83 counts of attempted murder, 83 counts of reckless endangerment, and one count of endangering an aircraft, online records show.
Alaska Airlines has not publicly identified Emerson as an off-duty employee.
The plane landed safely in Portland. The incident caused a two-hour delay.
“We are grateful for the professional handling of the situation by the Horizon flight crew and appreciate our guests’ calm and patience throughout this event,” Alaska Airlines said.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident.
The FAA clarified that the security event was not connected to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
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