OR - Alaska Airlines flight diverted after off-duty pilot tries "to shut the engines down" in cockpit, audio reveals

[arielilane]

An Alaska Airlines flight made an emergency diversion to Portland, Oregon, Sunday after an off-duty pilot in the cockpit unsuccessfully tried to shut down the plane's engines, according to officials and a source who confirmed details to CBS News' Kris Van Cleave. A suspect was taken into custody by police after the plane landed safely at Portland's airport, officials confirmed to CBS News.

The suspect was identified as Joseph Emerson, Portland International Airport said in a statement.

According to online jail records from the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office, Emerson is facing multiple charges including 83 counts of attempted murder.

An air traffic control recording during the incident captured the pilot saying, "We've got the guy who tried to shut the engines down out of the cockpit."

Emerson was arrested on state charges. The FBI said it was also investigating the incident.

Alaska Airlines flight diverted, off-duty pilot Joseph Emerson arrested for trying to cut engines midflight, officials say

An Alaska Airlines flight made an emergency diversion to Portland, Oregon, after an off-duty pilot in the cockpit unsuccessfully tried to shut down the plane's engines midflight.

www.cbsnews.com

UPDATED ON: OCTOBER 23, 2023 / 12:51 PM

 

[arielilane]

Terrifying moment in the air. An off-duty airline pilot riding in the jump seat attempted to shut off the plane's engines mid-flight. He was taken from the cockpit and subdued before he was successful. He's been arrested and faces 83 counts of first degree attempted murder.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1716501738834813343

 

[arielilane]

Who Is Joseph Emerson? Off-Duty Pilot Tries To 'Shut Off Engines' On Alaska Airlines Flight

https://twitter.com/x/status/1716499586926412051

Who Is Joseph Emerson? Off-Duty Pilot Tries To 'Shut Off Engines' On Alaska Airlines Flight

10.23.2023

 

[arielilane]

Emerson now faces a considerable raft of charges, including 83 charges of attempted murder, a Class A felony with a mandatory sentence of 7.5 years per count in Oregon. He is also charged with one count of endangering an aircraft and several more for reckless endangerment. In a statement to KATU News, the Port of Portland Police confirmed that his case has been taken on by the FBI.

...

Newsweek reached out to law enforcement officials via email.

This is a developing story and will be updated when more information is available.

Who is Joseph Emerson? Suspect who tried to kill plane's engines mid-flight

Oct 23, 2023 at 12:56 PM EDT

 

[AmandaSkis]

Amazing and quick response by the crew to subdue this guy!

 

[Seattle1]

Alaska Air off-duty pilot tries to shut off engines on flight from Everett

An off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot caused a security threat on an Everett to San Francisco Horizon Air flight Sunday. He was arrested when the jet diverted to Portland.

www.seattletimes.com

10/23/23

Horizon Air flight 2059 from Everett to San Francisco diverted to Portland where it landed safely, and the Alaska Airlines pilot was arrested.

“I’ll just give you a heads-up. We’ve got the guy that tried to shut the engines down out of the cockpit,” the pilot told Portland air traffic control in a calm voice. “It doesn’t seem like he’s causing any issue at the back. I think he’s subdued.”

“Other than that, we want law enforcement as soon as we get on the ground and parked,” the pilot is heard saying in a recording of the exchange with air traffic controllers.

This was after the air traffic controller had got the plane set up for the unscheduled landing in Portland and asked the pilot to “let me know the threat level.”

(Listen on the LiveATC website. Go to minute 10:56 in the recording.)

[..]

The Embraer E-175 regional jet had taken off from Everett’s Paine Field airport at 5:23 p.m. Sunday. The flight was full, with 80 passengers on board, including lap infants, with two pilots flying and two flight attendants in the passenger cabin.

 

[arielilane]

The FAA told CNN it is aware of the incident and supporting a local law enforcement investigation.

CNN has reached out to local and federal authorities for further information.


An off-duty pilot tried to take control of Alaska Airlines flight before being subdued

Oct 23, 2023 Updated 58 min ago

 

[arielilane]

--- Four minute video. What they were describing is an attempt hijacking of the airplane.

An off-duty pilot tried to take control of Alaska Airlines flight​

An off-duty pilot riding as a passenger in the cockpit of an Alaska Airlines flight tried to seize control of a plane headed from Seattle to San Francisco on Sunday, the airline and a source familiar with the matter said. CNN's Pete Muntean reports.

 

[arielilane]

Authorities in Portland identified the man as Joseph David Emerson, 44. He was being held Monday on dozens of counts of attempted murder and reckless endangerment, according to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon.

Pilot in cockpit jump seat on Horizon Air flight tried to shut down engines in midflight, say fellow pilots

Sunday flight to San Francisco from Everett, Wash., was diverted to Portland.

www.marketwatch.com

 

[realanastasia]

Authorities in Portland identified the man as Joseph David Emerson, 44. He was being held Monday on dozens of counts of attempted murder and reckless endangerment, according to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon.

Pilot in cockpit jump seat on Horizon Air flight tried to shut down engines in midflight, say fellow pilots

Sunday flight to San Francisco from Everett, Wash., was diverted to Portland.

www.marketwatch.com

I believe "airline pilot" is one of the jobs where acknowledging mental health issues during the hiring process can be disqualifying (at minimum, per the FAA guidelines below, it seems like it'd make getting hired MUCH harder), but somehow this guy managed to make it through (though mental health issues can come on any time, of course). I wonder if maybe he was very intoxicated (but in this case he probably should have been denied boarding, no?).

https://www.faa.gov/pilot-mental-fitness

Even scarier, per the article linked below: ""The suspect was en route to San Francisco, where he was scheduled to be on a flight crew of a 737, the official said."

Off-duty pilot charged with 83 counts of attempted murder for allegedly trying to shut off engines on Alaska Airlines flight

An Alaska Airlines flight was diverted late Sunday after a "credible security threat related to an authorized occupant in the flight deck jump seat."

abcnews.go.com

 

[Inthedetails]

Terrifying! Kudos to the flight crew - true HEROS who saved dozens of lives today.


jmo

 

[arielilane]

He's on X, tho, last post in 2020 & a few reposts in 2022. moo

 

[Dotta]

"Pilot with a Death Wish"

Pilots divert jet in Portland after person tried to shut down engines

Joseph Emerson, 44, faces the litany of felony charges along with 83 counts of reckless endangerment and one count of endangering an aircraft.

www.dailymail.co.uk

A jump seat

Cockpit Jumpseating: The Best Seat in the House

New York metropolitan airport business news, employment, and aviation events.

metroairportnews.com

 

[arielilane]

"Pilot with a Death Wish"

Pilots divert jet in Portland after person tried to shut down engines

Joseph Emerson, 44, faces the litany of felony charges along with 83 counts of reckless endangerment and one count of endangering an aircraft.

www.dailymail.co.uk

A jump seat

Cockpit Jumpseating: The Best Seat in the House

New York metropolitan airport business news, employment, and aviation events.

metroairportnews.com

More details in DM article. There's another DM article which I chose not to post because his children's faces have not been blurred out - at this time. Neighbors are having a difficult time believing JE would attempt this type of crime that he allegedly did. moo

 

[arielilane]

Three minute video

Who is Pilot Joseph Emerson?​

A pilot who lives in Pleasant Hill, Joseph David Emerson, is facing 167 charges after he allegedly tried to shut down the engines of a plane bound for San Francisco while he was off-duty and in the cockpit. Emerson, 44, is an FAA licensed pilot. He is now accused of attempting to murder 83 people who were onboard the passenger flight Sunday evening, according to jail records. Neighbors described Emerson as a "positive, very friendly, upbeat," father of two.



Five minute video

Off-duty pilot charged with attempted murder for allegedly trying to crash Alaska Airlines flight​

An Alaska Airlines flight diverted to Portland, Oregon, Sunday after an off-duty pilot in the cockpit unsuccessfully tried to shut down the plane's engines midflight, according to officials. The suspect, Joseph Emerson, was taken into custody by police and charged with attempted murder after the plane landed safely at Portland's airport, officials confirmed to CBS News. Joshua Skule, former FBI executive assistant director for intelligence, joined CBS News to discuss the incident.

 

[arielilane]

Video is less than two minutes.

Off-duty Alaska pilot 'tried to shut the engines down' on flight from Everett​

A flight from Everett to San Francisco was diverted to Portland Sunday night after an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot attempted to shut down the Horizon Air passenger jet's engines in the cockpit. The Port of Portland Police Department, which serves as law enforcement for Portland International Airport, said it arrested Joseph David Emerson, 44, who faces 83 charges of attempted murder, a charge of endangering an aircraft, and several other charges of reckless endangerment. He was authorized to sit in the jump seat—an extra seat in the cockpit—according to Alaska Airlines, which owns Horizon.

 

[drama_farmer]

His actions will likely lead to the end of in cockpit jump seat privileges for every airline.

 

[drama_farmer]

 

[Dotta]

This reminds me of a terrible case of German pilot who crashed the plane into Alps mountain in 2015.
Killing 149 people.

Remember?

Andreas Lubitz ACCELERATED doomed jet into the mountain

French air accident investigators said 27-year-old Lubitz (inset) used the automatic pilot to put the plane into a descent and repeatedly adjusted the controls to speed up the plane.

www-dailymail-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org

 

[Seattle1]

Pilot who tried to crash passenger plane is loving father - neighbors

An off-duty pilot accused of trying to crash a plane with 84 people on board has been pictured for the first time - as stunned locals on his street said he was the perfect dad, husband and neighbor.

www.dailymail.co.uk