A disturbing new cockpit audio recording has revealed the moment an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot tried to shut down a passenger jet’s engines mid-flight. Joseph Emerson, reportedly sleep-deprived and under the lingering effects of magic mushrooms taken two days earlier, was riding in the cockpit jump seat on a Seattle-to-San Francisco flight in October 2023.
During the flight, Emerson suddenly lunged for two emergency engine shut-off handles positioned above his seat. The on-duty pilot reacted instantly and stopped him as a brief struggle broke out. The pilot repeatedly asked what was wrong while Emerson said he wanted to go home.
The crew declared an emergency and diverted the Embraer E75 aircraft to Portland. Eighty-three passengers and crew were on board. After landing, Emerson was escorted off the jet in handcuffs, as shown in a video later released by local prosecutors.
Emerson told investigators he felt trapped in a dissociative, dreamlike state and believed pulling the handles would wake him up. He later said he now understands he was fully conscious.
He pleaded guilty to interfering with a flight crew and received time served plus three years of supervised release. He also pleaded no contest to other endangerment charges and will serve five years of probation.
