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

[Seattle1]

While I have empathy for any individual depressed over the death of their best friend, self-medicating with magic mushrooms was never an option here-- nor is it a defense for the defendant's criminal behavior!

Compounding the pilot's irresponsible behavior is the fact Emerson also saw his AME last month and failed to disclose he was feeling vulnerable. He had 20+ years of experience -- he has no excuse!

While I'm not necessarily surprised to find that social media seems to be emphasizing how this was an "off-duty" Captain-- as if it should get him a pass, I believe prosecutors need to make an example out of Emerson for exactly this reason. From an industry standpoint, I believe increasing the severity of his punishment is necessary to deter copycat behavior. This egregious, criminal behavior by a commercial pilot is too important to ignore.

I also understand my opinion is likely competing with the masses of stoned and/or high drivers behind the wheel daily and who are also endangering motorists and their passengers.

Given the current shortage of pilots, the ALPA yields a lot of power today and they really need to get on board here and recognize how "self-reporting" mental distress is not the best policy. MOO

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

...I cannot imagine how any responsible pilot would think taking a hallucinogenic substance 48 hours before a flight is a safe or reasonable thing to do....

Does substance use alter consciousness and affect behavior? Of course. Does it excuse violence? Absolutely not. You drink and drive, you're responsible. You take hallucinogens and get in the cockpit of a plane, you're responsible.

I remain very concerned about the "awake for 40 hours" thing. That doesn't appear to be a side effect of psilocybin and sounds more to me like a severe manic episode or some kind of legal or illegal speed. Lack of sleep has profound effects on behavior.

Really appreciate this post, especially the BBMs.

I also wonder if there is any proof he took psilocybin, or proof of when exactly.

 

[arielilane]

The wife of the off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot who prosecutors say tried to cut the engines of a Horizon Air flight while riding in the cockpit jump seat said Thursday she knew her husband was struggling with depression but that she was in a state of shock over his arrest.

"This is not my Joe," she told reporters after attending her husband Joseph Emerson's first appearance in federal court in Portland, Oregon.

"He never would've done that. He never would've knowingly done any of that," she added, her voice quivering. "That is not the man that I married."

Emerson's father, father-in-law and several airline colleagues were also present for his first federal court appearance. ...


... Emerson was to remain in custody. His federal arraignment is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 22.

More at link...

Update: Wife of Bay Area Alaska Airlines pilot Joseph Emerson says she's in shock after averted air disaster

10.26.2023

 

[gitana1]

IMO there is much more of a cause than just taking shrooms 48 hours prior.
Again when did he last work?, etc..

Hallucinogens can apparently trigger psychosis in someone who is susceptible.

This man will now have to be monitored closely because once a person has a psychotic episode, they can easily have one again.

 

[gitana1]

While I have empathy for any individual depressed over the death of their best friend, self-medicating with magic mushrooms was never an option here-- nor is it a defense for the defendant's criminal behavior!

Compounding the pilot's irresponsible behavior is the fact Emerson also saw his AME last month and failed to disclose he was feeling vulnerable. He had 20+ years of experience -- he has no excuse!

While I'm not necessarily surprised to find that social media seems to be emphasizing how this was an "off-duty" Captain-- as if it should get him a pass, I believe prosecutors need to make an example out of Emerson for exactly this reason. From an industry standpoint, I believe increasing the severity of his punishment is necessary to deter copycat behavior. This egregious, criminal behavior by a commercial pilot is too important to ignore.

I also understand my opinion is likely competing with the masses of stoned and/or high drivers behind the wheel daily and who are also endangering motorists and their passengers.

Given the current shortage of pilots, the ALPA yields a lot of power today and they really need to get on board here and recognize how "self-reporting" mental distress is not the best policy. MOO

Yes. I agree with you. This is a job with such a high level of responsibility over the lives of others that there needs to be serious consequences. I think this guy had a psychotic episode after using mushrooms and not getting treated for mental health issues. He is liable for that because he had a duty to get treatment. And he had a duty not to take drugs. The lives of those he flew were at stake. That’s more important than his career. He needs to face stiff consequences for that as a warning to others in his position.

Being grounded is much better than prison. Or harming others. He could be a flight instructor. Get treatment and become a flight instructor. So much better than this.

 

[patternsfinder]

The NYTimes has the first interview with the pilot. (I shared a gift link that gets folks around the paywall)

Snippet:

"Mr. Emerson, who has pleaded not guilty, said he had no intention of hurting anyone that day. Instead, he said, he was desperate to awaken from a hallucinogenic state that had consumed him since taking psychedelic mushrooms two days earlier, during a weekend getaway with friends to commemorate the death of his best friend. It was a loss that had plunged him into deep grief and triggered a search for help with what he realized were longstanding mental health issues."

‘Is This Hell?’ The Pilot Accused of Trying to Crash a Plane Tells His Story.

Joseph Emerson, charged with attempted murder, said he felt trapped in a dream after taking mushrooms. He had feared mental health treatments that could disrupt his career.

www.nytimes.com

 

[mickey2942]

So many pilots use the courtesy cockpit jump seat, to commute. I wonder now, if because of this one crazy guy, that benefit will be taken away, and pilots will have to sit in the plane. That could be a huge hardship for a lot of pilots that commute.

All it takes is one person...

 

[ifindedout]

Hallucinogens can apparently trigger psychosis in someone who is susceptible.

This man will now have to be monitored closely because once a person has a psychotic episode, they can easily have one again.

And even without psychosis, there's the possibility of flashbacks.

 

[Seattle1]

Off-duty pilot Joseph Emerson breaks his silence

Joseph Emerson, the off-duty pilot who almost brought down a passenger jet while tripping on magic mushrooms has broken his silence over the 'imaginary journey' that almost ended in tragedy.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[gitana1]

And even without psychosis, there's the possibility of flashbacks.

True. But those tend to be short and not cause a complete lapse of reality, IMO.

 

[arielilane]

The off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot accused of trying to shut down the engines of an airborne plane last month after taking magic mushrooms thought he was dreaming and had questioned if he was in hell, he said in an interview published Saturday.

Pilot accused of trying to stop engines midflight after taking magic mushrooms asked ‘Am I dead? Is this hell?'

Updated on November 12, 2023 at 2:06 am​

 

[Betty P]

The off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot accused of trying to shut down the engines of an airborne plane last month after taking magic mushrooms thought he was dreaming and had questioned if he was in hell, he said in an interview published Saturday.

Pilot accused of trying to stop engines midflight after taking magic mushrooms asked ‘Am I dead? Is this hell?'

Updated on November 12, 2023 at 2:06 am​

It certainly sounds like he had a bad reaction to the psilocybin if his hallucinations lasted for 5 days. Never mess with hallucinogens, including ketamine (a version of PCP). I can't believe that's become a fad as an "alternative" medicine.

 

[Recidivist]

It certainly sounds like he had a bad reaction to the psilocybin if his hallucinations lasted for 5 days. Never mess with hallucinogens, including ketamine (a version of PCP). I can't believe that's become a fad as an "alternative" medicine.

Never mess with hallucinogens? You realize the benefits of mushrooms far outweigh the risks. It has been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. Today, it is being used for all kinds of psychiatric conditions. And ketamine is not an alternative medicine. It is used by doctors and hospitals throughout the US. It was administered to me for pain earlier this year in the hospital.

But a pilot should never enter the cockpit, while under the influence of anything, or impaired in any way. Blame the pilot not the mushroom.
imo

 

[mickey2942]

I always find situations like this, absolutely fascinating. A person, completely destroyed a professional career, probably will have a bunch of personal, financial, and family problems.

Wouldn't going to see a therapist and getting antidepressant medication been a better plan? I know pilots can disclose this, and be in a diversion program, to keep their jobs. But tripping on psychedelic mushrooms? No go.

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

I always find situations like this, absolutely fascinating. A person, completely destroyed a professional career, probably will have a bunch of personal, financial, and family problems.

Wouldn't going to see a therapist and getting antidepressant medication been a better plan? I know pilots can disclose this, and be in a diversion program, to keep their jobs. But tripping on psychedelic mushrooms? No go.

Calling them diversion programs is charitable, IMO. As a physician who's been sent patients from these programs once they've "graduated," they should be illegal (one day, they will be, would bet my bottom dollar). The pilot make a huge life-altering mistake, no doubt. But I get the fear he and his colleagues likely face. It's really scary to me that in an effort to identify and weed out those with mental illness, the airline industry, like many others, has managed to make the mentally ill hide their symptoms rather than treat them.

JMO

 

[caradana]

Calling them diversion programs is charitable, IMO. As a physician who's been sent patients from these programs once they've "graduated," they should be illegal (one day, they will be, would bet my bottom dollar). The pilot make a huge life-altering mistake, no doubt. But I get the fear he and his colleagues likely face. It's really scary to me that in an effort to identify and weed out those with mental illness, the airline industry, like many others, has managed to make the mentally ill hide their symptoms rather than treat them.

JMO

really? Physicians have state-level diversion programs, and they get stripped of their licenses based on results of investigations, similar to what is happening here. You’re that surprised that this has happened? Humans are humans, it happens in virtually any population. We have good checks and balances here. There were good checks and balances on the plane that day, too.

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

really? Physicians have state-level diversion programs, and they get stripped of their licenses based on results of investigations, similar to what is happening here. You’re that surprised that this has happened? Humans are humans, it happens in virtually any population. We have good checks and balances here. There were good checks and balances on the plane that day, too.

I said it's SCARY. That's far different from being surprised. I'm actually not surprised and didn't say that I was. I disagree wholeheartedly that we have good checks and balances, based on my experience seeing the people who come out of these programs. Many of these programs are living in the dark ages with their approach to mental illness.

And that's my opinion based on experience, knowledge, and expertise in the field.

 

[mickey2942]

I said it's SCARY. That's far different from being surprised. I'm actually not surprised and didn't say that I was. I disagree wholeheartedly that we have good checks and balances, based on my experience seeing the people who come out of these programs. Many of these programs are living in the dark ages with their approach to mental illness.

And that's my opinion based on experience, knowledge, and expertise in the field.

Unfortunately, INMO, I agree.

 

[Sillybilly]

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[arielilane]

Seattle — Three passengers sued Alaska Airlines Thursday, saying they suffered emotional distress from an incident last month in which an off-duty pilot was accused of trying to shut down the engines of a plane while catching a ride in the cockpit from Washington state to San Francisco.

In the complaint filed Thursday in King County Superior Court in Washington state, San Francisco residents Matthew Doland and Theresa Stelter and Paul Stephen of Kenmore, Washington, alleged that the pilot should never have been allowed in the cockpit because he was suffering from depression and a lack of sleep.

Alaska Airlines said in an emailed statement that it is reviewing the complaint. "The pilots and flight attendants operating Flight 2059 responded without hesitation to ensure the safety of all onboard," it added. "We are incredibly proud and grateful for their skilled actions."

...

3 passengers sue Alaska Airlines after off-duty pilot allegedly tried to shut down plane's engines mid-flight

They say they suffered emotional distress from an incident last month in which Joseph Emerson was accused of trying to shut down the Alaska Airlines plane's engines.

www.cbsnews.com

11.3.2023