Posted: Yesterday 9:23:16 PM EST
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A former Alaska Airlines pilot who tried to disable a passenger jet’s engines while riding in a cockpit jump seat will avoid prison time. Joseph Emerson, 46, was sentenced in Portland federal court Monday, Nov. 17, to the 46 days he previously spent in custody, along with three years of supervised release. It followed his guilty plea to interference with flight crew members, a federal charge stemming from the October 2023 Horizon Air flight where he attempted to pull the engine fire suppression handles midair. Emerson was traveling off-duty in the cockpit jump seat on a flight from Everett to San Francisco when he reached for the controls that would have cut fuel to both engines, prosecutors said. Flight crews physically restrained him and diverted the aircraft to Portland, where Emerson was arrested.  According to federal filings, Emerson told investigators he was in a drug-induced psychosis after taking psilocybin mushrooms two days before the flight and believed he needed to “wake up” from a dream. He later apologized in court, saying, “I regret the harm that I caused… They gave me a gift of saving my life.” The government sought a one-year prison sentence, arguing that “actions have consequences,” but ultimately did not oppose time served after Emerson paid nearly $60,000 in restitution to Alaska Airlines. Prosecutors credited the crew for preventing a disaster, writing that the situation could have been catastrophic if not for their “heroic actions.” Emerson previously pleaded no contest to state charges in Oregon and received time served, five years of probation, and 600 hours of community service. He is also barred from being within 25 feet of any operable aircraft as part of his state sentence. His attorneys said Emerson has been sober for two years, has lost his pilot certifications, and is now training to become a substance abuse counselor. They argued that removing him from the community would be counterproductive, and several pilots — including one who helped restrain him — testified that prison time would discourage others in the aviation industry from seeking mental health support. Emerson and his wife have since founded Clear Skies Ahead, a nonprofit focused on pilot mental health. https://pugetpress.com/2025/11/17/alaska-airlines-pilot-joseph-emerson-sentencing-portland/ |
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Originally Posted By denverdan: Freaked out two days after taking mushrooms? Yeah that seems unlikely. Thinking the same thing, Ive taken them many times in my 20s, back to normal the next day. Made up excuse and the lib court bought it, should have been at least 10 years. |
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According to federal filings, Emerson told investigators he was in a drug-induced psychosis after taking psilocybin mushrooms two days before the flight and believed he needed to “wake up” from a dream. So I guess in this psychotic sleep walking state, he somehow drove to the airport with enough time to get through TSA and catch his flight, then accidentally tried to commit a big murder suicide in his sleep. Right |
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Originally Posted By LSWC: The duration of effects lasts only 6-8 hours. He took them "two days before" Cop out. He was suicidal, well before he decided to eat the mushrooms. Good question. Originally Posted By LSWC: The duration of effects lasts only 6-8 hours. He took them "two days before" Cop out. He was suicidal, well before he decided to eat the mushrooms. Originally Posted By mike3000fl: Why did an ex pilot have access to the cockpit? Good question. |
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Judges are worthless. Can't be bothered to jail someone for trying to crash a plane, but it Trump says something they don't like they'll be on it in an instant. We need to start seriously overhauling how the judicial branch works. Judges deciding what the law is based on personal whims is a relic of monarchism that needs to go. |
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Originally Posted By mike3000fl: Why did an ex pilot have access to the cockpit? He wasn’t “ex” at the time. He was an instructor and an exemplary pilot and employee up to that point. I just flew with a guy who told me the story (as related by Alaska Airlines friends of his). This guy was, by all outward appearances, top notch. But, he’d had some issues with depression but it was something he could deal with. He lost his best friend to an accident and that caused the depression to deepen and he took the mushroom (offered by a friend) as a way to cope. He took it several days before he was scheduled to fly. Apparently, it came back and caused the episode on the plane. Bottom line is the FAA Aeromedical community treats depression and other mental issues like government—sweep it under the rug. There’s basically no leeway to declare having issues and returning to the cockpit. I will say, most pilots’ unions and large airlines have a psychologist on staff to assess and assist with employees who ‘throw the flag’ before it becomes a problem. |
In America, the village idiots have organized.
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Originally Posted By 56xdx_Z: So I guess in this psychotic sleep walking state, he somehow drove to the airport with enough time to get through TSA and catch his flight, then accidentally tried to commit a big murder suicide in his sleep. Right |
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Originally Posted By SquatchAv8: All certificates were revoked. Originally Posted By SquatchAv8: Originally Posted By czechsix: So did his pilot license get stripped? No sweat, he'll get another out of Taiwan. |
A socialist may indeed be academically superior.
And yet, they are most certainly emotionally retarded.
Public education is the opiate of the masses.
And yet, they are most certainly emotionally retarded.
Public education is the opiate of the masses.
| It's easy to say it might be a suicide attempt but that's a really shitty way to go about it not just morally but logistically and difficulty. Stuff like this makes me look for crazy explanations. I don't buy the mushrooms made me do it wither. Being local to Burning Man I've known hundreds of people that have used mushrooms regularly and I don't think I've ever heard any of them talking about a delayed reaction. One of the reasons it's so popular is how quickly it metabolizes. |
BikerNut:
Normal people like motorcycles. Real people like motorcycles.
People who don't like motorcycles are just... weird.
Normal people like motorcycles. Real people like motorcycles.
People who don't like motorcycles are just... weird.
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"I was high" good excuse. Sounds like he got a decent outcome for trying to kill a hundred people. $60k fine They argued that removing him from the community would be counterproductive, and several pilots — including one who helped restrain him — testified that prison time would discourage others in the aviation industry from seeking mental health support. wow, things are that bad huh. not punishing a guy with prison time for trying to crash an airplane will discourage others from seeking help |