In an emotional interview, former Alaska Airlines pilot Joseph Emerson opened up about the terrifying moment he attempted to shut down a plane's engines mid-flight in October 2023.
Emerson described being in a dissociative state after taking psychedelic mushrooms just two days before the incident. At the time, he was grieving the loss of a close friend and admitted to self-medicating with alcohol and drugs. Emerson, who was off-duty but seated in the cockpit jump seat of Alaska Air Flight 2059, said he experienced intense panic and confusion that led to his actions.
During the flight from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco, Emerson said a wave of fear convinced him he wasn't going to make it home to his wife and children. In that altered state, he believed he needed to "wake up" and impulsively pulled the emergency handles designed to shut off fuel to the engines in the event of fire. "I didn't understand the consequences," he said. "In my mind, I thought I was still dreaming.'
Thankfully, the crew intervened, and the flight was safely diverted to Portland, Oregon, where Emerson was taken into custody. Emerson now faces a federal charge of interfering with a flight crew, along with multiple state charges, including 83 counts of reckless endangerment and one count of first-degree endangering an aircraft. His case has renewed discussions about the mental health challenges facing pilots and the limited resources available to those struggling.
Emerson has fully accepted responsibility for his actions, describing it as "the most consequential three seconds" of his life. He is scheduled to appear in court next month.
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