An off-duty pilot is charged with 83 counts of attempted murder after he allegedly tried to turn off the engines during an Alaska Airlines flight.
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The San Francisco-bound flight from Everett, Washington, was scheduled to fly Sunday before it was redirected to Portland after “a credible security threat related to an authorized occupant in the flight deck jump seat,” as reported by ABC News. The airline told the news outlet that the suspect allegedly tried to pull the fire extinguisher handles on the engines, but the flight crew intervened and restrained the suspect before handcuffing him to his seat.
Federal officials identified the suspect as Joseph David Emerson, and he was taken into custody after being charged with 83 counts of attempted murder. The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said Emerson also faces 83 counts of reckless endangerment and one felony count of endangering an aircraft. The airline also said that the off-duty pilot was scheduled to fly a 737 aircraft with a crew in San Francisco.
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Emerson was sitting in the flight deck jump seat when he attempted to “disrupt the operation of the engines.” A rep from Alaska Airlines said that the plane’s engine power was not lost during the altercation between Emerson and the flight crew. Passengers were also aware of the emergency when they were informed that the aircraft would land in Portland.
“‘We didn’t know anything was happening until the flight attendant got on the loudspeaker and made an announcement that there was an emergency situation and the plane needed to land immediately. … About 15 minutes later, she got back on and said that there was a medical emergency. After we did land and the gentleman was escorted off, the flight attendant got back on the speaker and said, plain and simple, ‘He had a mental breakdown. We needed to get him off the plane immediately,’” said passenger Aubrey Gavello.
The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that the incident is not connected to any current world events and assured that the suspect is no longer a threat to any aircraft. Additionally, the pilots union Air Line Pilots Association said they are cooperating with investigators regarding the incident.
“For decades, the United States has pioneered a proactive approach to improving aviation safety and maintaining a healthy work environment for pilots. In addition, U.S. pilots are continuously evaluated throughout their careers through training, medical exams, crew resource management, and programs such as the Line Operations Safety Audit, as well as by the airline and during random flight checks by the Federal Aviation Administration.”
