New Audio and Video Reveal Off‑Duty Pilot Tried to Cut Engines Midflight, Triggering Emergency Landing

Flight-deck audio and airport security footage released by prosecutors give new detail into an October 2023 incident in which off‑duty pilot Joseph Emerson allegedly tried to shut down the engines of an Alaska Airlines regional jet while the aircraft was en route to Portland. The plane made an emergency landing and police removed Emerson in handcuffs after crew members subdued him.

What the Recordings Show

Prosecutors provided CBS News with airport security video showing officers escorting Emerson off the aircraft following the diversion. The prosecution’s file also included flight-deck audio of the onboard struggle. In the recordings, Emerson tells a crew member, "I'm not OK," a phrase the pilot initially mishears as "You're OK?" Emerson repeats, "I'm not OK," and says he wants to go home. The exchange devolves into a brief physical struggle and profanity before the captain radios air traffic control:

"Horizon, we need to make an emergency landing. We've got a jump seater just tried to shut our engines off. We need to go direct to Portland, now."

The handles Emerson pulled are designed to cut fuel to engines in the event of an onboard fire. The crew later informed controllers that Emerson had been removed from the cockpit.

Emerson's Account and Medical Context

Emerson told CBS News he had taken psilocybin mushrooms two days before the flight and described being in a "dream" or dissociative state. He said he believed pulling the handles would "wake me up," and denied any intent to crash the aircraft: "No, no. I had no intention of crashing the actual airplane. I wanted to wake up. I was convinced I wasn't going home to my wife and kids. It wasn't reality."

According to his attorneys, Emerson suffers from hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD), a condition that can prolong psychedelic effects for days after ingestion. Emerson also told reporters he had been grieving the death of a close friend and had initially turned to alcohol before trying psilocybin.

Passengers, Charges and Sentencing

There were 83 other passengers and crew on board; Emerson occupied the cockpit jumpseat because the flight was full. He has pleaded guilty in federal court to interfering with a flight crew and accepted a separate no-contest plea on state charges of endangering an aircraft and 83 counts of endangering another person.

For the federal plea, Emerson received time served (46 days in custody) and three years of supervised release. The state sentence included time served and five years of probation. Police cruiser video of the roughly 20‑minute ride after his arrest shows Emerson largely silent but at one point asking an officer, "Do you believe in forgiveness?" and saying, "I want to be accountable. But am I gonna be forgiven for being so stupid?"

Why This Matters

The incident underscores risks posed when an impaired individual is seated in a cockpit jumpseat on a full flight and highlights questions about mental health, substance effects that can persist beyond typical timelines, and airline cockpit security procedures. Investigators and legal authorities treated the episode as a serious safety breach with criminal consequences.