Alaska Airlines Pilot Reflects on "Unfathomable" Mid-Flight Incident After Mushroom Use

 

An Alaska Airlines pilot who attempted to shut down the engines of a passenger plane mid-flight after consuming psychedelic mushrooms has expressed deep remorse in one of his first public statements since being indicted on multiple charges. Joseph Emerson, who faces 83 counts of reckless endangerment, described the incident as "30 seconds of my life that I wish I could change, and I can't" during an interview with ABC’s Good Morning America.

On October 22, Emerson, who was off-duty but authorized to ride in the cockpit’s jump seat, attempted to disable the plane's engines by engaging the fire-suppression system, according to a federal complaint. The plane, Horizon Air flight 2059, was en route from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco when it was diverted to Portland, Oregon, where it landed safely with more than 80 people on board.

Following his arrest in Oregon on state charges of attempted murder, Emerson told authorities that he believed he was experiencing a nervous breakdown and thought he was dreaming when he pulled the fire handles in the cockpit. He also admitted to recently experimenting with psychedelic mushrooms as his mental health deteriorated.

Emerson revealed that he had taken the mushrooms two days earlier while mourning the death of his best friend, hoping they might alleviate his depression. He believes he was still hallucinating during the flight and said, "Nothing felt real" as he sat in the cockpit. "There was a feeling of being trapped, like: 'Am I trapped in this airplane?'" he recalled. "This is not real, I need to wake up."

In his disoriented state, Emerson reached for two red handles that would have activated the fire-suppression system, cutting off fuel to the plane's engines at an altitude of 30,000 feet. "What I thought is: 'This is going to wake me up,'" he explained. "I know what those levers do in a real airplane, and I need to wake up from this."

The flight crew managed to subdue Emerson and remove him from the flight deck. Even as the plane descended, Emerson tried to grab another lever that operated the cabin door. According to an affidavit, he warned a flight attendant, "You need to cuff me right now, or it’s going to be bad."

In December, Emerson was indicted on one count of endangering an aircraft in the first degree and 83 counts of recklessly endangering another person—one for each person on board during the incident. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is currently awaiting trial.

Reflecting on his actions, Emerson said, "I did something unfathomable to me, something I have to take responsibility for, and I regret."