A pilot tries to shut down engines on a plane
An off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot attempted to shut down the plane's engines during a flight this weekend. According to court documents, he had ingested magic mushrooms and thought he was having a nervous breakdown. The pilots pushed the man out of the cockpit after he attempted to drain the engines of fuel and turn the plane into a glider. He also attempted to open an emergency exit at the rear of the plane.
The incident and the arrest
The pilot, Joseph Emerson, 44, boarded the flight from Everett, Washington to San Francisco, operated by Horizon Air. He was in the cockpit emergency seat, in accordance with the airline's policy regarding personnel not working. Shortly after the trip began, he attempted to pull two handfuls of red light that would have activated the plane's emergency firefighting system and cut off the fuel supply to the engines. After a brief physical struggle with the pilots, Emerson left the cockpit.
The Alaska Airlines flight landed safely and Emerson was arrested. During the descent, he even tried to grab the handle of an emergency exit, but was prevented by a flight attendant.
The airline reaction and the accusation
Alaska Airlines stressed that the pilots reacted quickly by turning the throttles to land the plane safely. The flight attendants handcuffed Emerson and took him to the rear of the plane.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon charged Emerson with federal interference with flight crew members and flight attendants. Additionally, he was charged in Oregon with attempted murder in 83 cases, negligent endangerment in 83 cases, and aircraft endangerment in one case. During his brief appearance in Portland court, Emerson pleaded not guilty.
Alaska Airlines announced that Emerson had been “removed from service and relieved of all duties indefinitely.”
Previous incidents of this type
This is not the first time a pilot has attempted to deliberately endanger a plane. A similar case occurred in March 2015, when a pilot of a Germanwings plane deliberately crashed the plane on a flight from Barcelona to Düsseldorf, resulting in the death of all on board.
Conclusion
The incident involving the off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot who attempted to shut down the plane's engines is concerning and once again illustrates the potential dangers passengers may be exposed to. Airlines must ensure that strict safety protocols are followed in order to avoid such incidents.