An off-duty pilot who allegedly tried to shut down an airplane’s engines mid-flight admitted to taking psychedelic mushrooms 48 hours before the flight, among other statements, according to filings shared by CBS News.
Joseph David Emerson, 44, of Pleasant Hill, California, was “having a nervous breakdown,” had not slept in 40 hours, felt dehydrated and tired, did not “feel okay,” was depressed six months earlier, thought he was dreaming and was a first-time mushrooms user, according to court document images shared by CBS.
Emerson grasped at two red fire handles that would have activated the plane’s fire-extinguishing system and cut off fuel to its engines during an Alaska Airlines flight from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco, California, on Sunday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon said in a press release. He also grasped at an emergency exit handle but was restrained. He was arrested upon landing in Portland, Oregon, charged with one federal count of interfering with the flight crew and booked into Multnomah County jail. He also faces 83 counts of attempted murder and 87 additional charges, per his booking information. (RELATED: Jumpseat Passenger Tried To Crash Plane Mid-Flight, Officials Say)
Joseph Emerson, the off-duty pilot accused of trying to shut down the engines on an Alaska Airlines plane mid-flight, told police he was having a “nervous breakdown” and admitted to consuming “magic mushrooms” two days earlier, according to court documents. pic.twitter.com/BcRtBpsFN8
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) October 24, 2023
Emerson, an Alaska Airlines pilot since 2001, told officers, “I’m admitting to what I did. I’m not fighting any charges you want to bring against me, guys,” CBS News reported. He pleaded not guilty in court but will remain in custody, according to the outlet. Alaska Airlines reportedly fired him after the incident.
“It’s really shocking. I’m really glad that they were able to take care of everything…but maybe [he] needs some help of some sort,” Sara Mattson, a neighbor of Emerson’s at Pleasant Hill in California, told CBS News in part.
“[M]y initial response was [that] he was having some kind of psychological issue because it’s not at all normal for him. They are a great family and I just feel bad for them … The whole neighborhood is in total shock because he’s loved by everybody,” next-door neighbor Karen Yee told the New York Post in part.
Pilots reportedly worry about losing their flight status if they seek help for mental health concerns.