Off-duty pilot who tried shutting down engines after taking psychedelic mushrooms pleads guilty
Story by Sophia Compton • 8h
American Airlines passenger restrained, knocked down while trying to enter pilot cockpit: video
A former Alaska Airlines pilot who attempted to disable the engines of a 2023 passenger flight while riding off duty in the cockpit — after taking psychedelic mushrooms — pleaded guilty or no contest to all charges Friday and expressed regret for endangering passengers and damaging his profession.
Joseph Emerson, who was restrained by the flight crew after trying to cut the engines of a Horizon Air flight carrying more than 80 people, reached plea agreements with state and federal prosecutors to take accountability and avoid further jail time, the Associated Press reported, citing his attorney, Noah Horst.
The October 2023 flight from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco diverted to Portland after Emerson pulled handles in the cockpit that could have cut fuel to the engines. The plane landed safely, according to the Associated Press.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/off-duty-pilot-who-tried-shutting-down-engines-after-taking-psychedelic-mushrooms-pleads-guilty/ar-AA1M1O4l?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=68bd5df02899499e81d4087a615ec73a&ei=27
