An off-duty pilot riding in the cockpit of an Alaska Airlines jet tried to disable the aircraft’s engines on a flight from the Seattle area to San Francisco, but crew members subdued him, and the plane landed in Portland, Oregon, officials said on Monday.
Joseph David Emerson聽was arrested on Sunday in Portland and was booked into jail on聽83 counts of attempted murder,聽83 counts of recklessly endangering another person and one count of endangering an aircraft, according to the local prosecutor’s office.
Formal charges against Emerson, 44, were expected to be filed on Tuesday in Multnomah County court in Portland, where he was due to appear for an afternoon arraignment and enter a plea, a spokesperson for the county district attorney said.
Alaska Airlines <础尝碍.狈&驳迟;听Flight 2059, operated by聽Alaska Air Group’s regional subsidiary Horizon聽础颈谤,听departed聽Everett, Washington,聽on Sunday bound for San Francisco but wasre-routed to Portland聽after reporting a security threat, the airline said.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told U.S. airlines in a notice seen by Reuters that the off-duty pilot, flying as a “validated jump seat passenger,” sought to disable the engines of the twin-jet Embraer 175 by attempting to activate the engine fire-suppression system while the plane was at cruise altitude.
“The crew was able to subdue the suspect and [he] was removed from the flight deck,” the FAA notice said. The engines were never disabled, Alaska said.
Radio chatter from the flight deck moments later was captured on audio posted by LiveATC.net, an online service that streams communications between air traffic control and commercial jets.
“I鈥檒l just give you a heads-up. We鈥檝e got the guy that tried to shut the engines down out of the cockpit,” the Horizon pilot told air traffic control, according to聽the audio.聽“It doesn鈥檛 sound like he鈥檚 causing any issue at the back. I think he鈥檚 subdued. …聽We want law enforcement as soon as we get on the ground and parked.”
Port of Portland police officers met the flight and took the聽suspect into聽custody without incident.
An FAA pilot database聽蝉丑辞飞别诲听Emerson listed as a certified pilot who received a medical clearance last month. Aviators are expected to self-report any mental health conditions, two U.S. pilots told Reuters.
The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the world’s largest pilots union, which represents aviators at Alaska, said in a statement that the airline “profession in North America is one of the most highly vetted and scrutinized careers.”
Adam Silverthorne, president of California-based NRI Flying Club, said the incident聽飞补蝉听incongruous with the kindhearted, methodical family man he knew聽Emerson as several聽years ago when Emerson was a club member and flight聽instructor. A club newsletter mentioned Emerson was at NRI in 2016.
“To say that it was out of character would be a huge understatement,” Mr. Silverthorne said by phone. “It’s bonkers.”
The FBI in Portland said it “is investigating and can assure the traveling public there is no continuing threat related to this incident.”
The FAA told airlines in a separate notice on Monday the incident “is not connected in any way, shape or form to current world events” but said it is “always good practice to maintain vigilance.”
It is standard practice for off-duty pilots to sit in jump seats聽for flights home听辞谤听en route聽a future flight assignment.
Alaska Airlines said all passengers on board traveled on a later flight. – Reuters
