A disturbing cockpit recording has resurfaced online, shedding new light on an October 2023 incident in which an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot allegedly tried to shut down a passenger jet’s engines mid-flight. The pilot, identified as Joseph Emerson, was riding in the cockpit jump seat on a Horizon Air-operated Embraer E75 flying from Seattle to San Francisco when he reportedly reached for two emergency engine shut-off handles, triggering a brief struggle in the cockpit, Fox News reported.
The aircraft, carrying 83 passengers and crew, was forced to divert to Portland for an emergency landing. Newly circulated audio captures the tense moments inside the cockpit: an on-duty pilot can be heard asking Emerson what is wrong after he says he “needs to go home,” followed by sounds of a scuffle and the distressed pilot shouting, “Dude, what’s going on?!”
The pilot then radios air traffic control, breathlessly reporting: “We’ve got a jump seater who just tried to shut our engines off. We need to go direct to Portland, now.”
Authorities said Emerson later admitted he had been feeling the lingering effects of psychedelic mushrooms he had taken two days earlier. A video from the Portland airport also shows local prosecutors escorting him off the aircraft in handcuffs after the emergency landing.
Why the Off-Duty Pilot Was in the Cockpit
According to CBS News, the commercial flight was full, prompting Emerson to occupy the cockpit jump seat — a standard practice for airline crew travelling off-duty. Investigators said the handles he attempted to pull are designed to cut off fuel to the engines in case of a fire.
Emerson told CBS News he felt as though he was in a “dreamlike” or “dissociative” state and believed pulling the handles would “wake me up.” Reflecting later, he said, “It didn’t wake me up. I was in reality. I know that now… It’s the most consequential three seconds of my life.”
Legal Outcome
Emerson has since pleaded guilty to interfering with a flight crew and no contest to endangering an aircraft and 83 passengers. He was sentenced to time served — 46 days in jail — along with three years of supervised release. For additional charges, he received five years of probation.
The incident has renewed conversations around pilot mental health and airline safety protocols, particularly regarding off-duty crew access to cockpit jump seats.
