An off-duty pilot has been charged with eighty-three counts of attempted murder, after he allegedly tried to crash a passenger jet during a flight on Sunday, October 22 night.
A statement from the Multnomah County sheriff’s office as reported by the guardian noted that a 44-year-old man was booked on 83 counts of attempted murder and endangering an airplane.
The suspect, identified according to booking details as Joseph David Emerson, was sitting in the cockpit of Alaska Airlines flight 2059 behind the captain and the first officer.
According to a statement released by the American airline, the aircraft was on its way from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco, California, with eighty passengers aboard when the incident happened.
Pilot’s Unsuccessful Attempt
Similarly, the airline while confirming the incident noted that the off-duty pilot was travelling in the flight deck jump seat when he tried to disrupt the engine operations.
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“An off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot, identified as Captain Joseph Emerson, who was traveling in the flight deck jump seat unsuccessfully attempted to disrupt the operation of the engines,” the statement reads in part.
In addition, the airline reported that the engine power was not lost despite the off-duty pilot’s attempt to shut down the engines by engaging the Engine Fire Handle.
They noted that upon reports of the security threat, Flight 2059 was diverted to Portland, Oregon, and the suspect was subdued without incident.
“The Horizon Captain and First Officer quickly responded, and the crew secured the aircraft without incident,” reported the airline.
Who is Captain Emerson
The airline in its statement revealed that Captain Emerson, joined Alaska Air Group as a Horizon First Officer in August 2001.
In June 2012, Emerson left Horizon to join Virgin America as a pilot.
As a result, Emerson became an Alaska Airlines First Officer following Alaska’s acquisition of Virgin America in 2016.
Additionally, the pilot became an Alaska Airlines Captain in 2019.
Throughout his career, the American airline reveals that Emerson completed his mandated FAA medical certifications in accordance with regulatory requirements.
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Likewise, the airline noted that at no point were his certifications denied, suspended, or revoked.
Alaska Flight 2059 Cock Pit Call
On Oct. 22, Alaska Airlines Flight 2059 operated by Horizon Air from Everett, WA (PAE) to San Francisco, CA (SFO) reported a credible security threat.
In a recording of air traffic control communication, one of the pilots was heard saying,
“We’ve got the guy that tried to shut the engines down out of the cockpit, and he doesn’t sound like he’s causing any issue in the back right now, I think he’s subdued.”
The pilot then requested police presence as soon as the plane landed.
Moreover, flight, 2059 was scheduled to take off at 17:25 local time and arrive in San Francisco at 19:30.
However, the flight was diverted to Portland and eventually took off from there to its intended destination at 19:18.
Notably, Alaska airline confirmed that the passengers on board were able to travel on a later flight as they lauded the crew and passengers for handling the matter in a professional manner.
