Police: Pilot Who Tried to Shut Down Plane Engine Mid-Flight Booked on 83 Counts of Attempted Murder

An off-duty pilot was accused of trying to shut down a plane’s engines during a Sunday afternoon flight from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco, California.

Officials have charged the Alaska Airlines pilot with more than 80 counts of attempted murder, NBC News reported Monday.

Horizon Air was operating the flight that was eventually diverted to Portland International Airport after the “credible security” threat occurred, Alaska Airlines explained in a statement.

Flight 2059, an aircraft operated by Horizon Air, reported a “credible security threat” when the pilot — identified in jail records as Joseph David Emerson — tried to seize control of the operation engines.

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— San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) October 23, 2023

“The jump seat occupant unsuccessfully attempted to disrupt the operation of the engines. The Horizon Captain and First Officer quickly responded, engine power was not lost, and the crew secured the aircraft without incident,” the statement said.

NewsNation shared audio recordings Monday of air traffic controllers during the incident.

“We’ve got the guy that tried to shut the engines down out of the cockpit. And he doesn’t sound like he’s causing any issue in the back right now. I think he’s subdued. We want law enforcement as soon as we get on the ground and parked,” one person said in the recording.

The flight was in the air for about one hour before touching down in Portland, the NBC report noted, adding it was typical for off-duty pilots to use a jump seat while traveling to another airport.

Following his arrest, police booked 44-year-old Joseph David Emerson on 83 counts of attempted murder, 83 counts of reckless endangerment, and a single count of endangering an aircraft.

According to ABC News, sources claimed the off-duty pilot made a comment such as, “I’m not right” before allegedly trying to pull the fire extinguisher that caused the engines to shut down.

However, “the flying pilots were able to take control of the situation, get the non-flying pilot out of that cockpit, and then they were able to make an emergency landing in Portland,” one of the outlet’s reporters said:

Authorities are now investigating the incident. Fortunately, it resulted in no injuries. The NBC report noted passengers were moved to another flight to continue their journey.

Another incident involving an Alaska Airlines flight occurred when it veered toward a SkyWest Airlines plane near Portland International Airport during a storm, Breitbart News reported Sunday.