An off-duty pilot is accused of trying to shut down the engines of a Horizon Air jet in midflight
An off-duty pilot riding in the cockpit of a Horizon Air passenger jet tried to shut down the engines in midflight
PORTLAND, Ore. — An off-duty pilot riding in the extra seat in the cockpit of a Horizon Air passenger jet tried to shut down the engines in midflight and had to be subdued by the crew, a pilot flying the plane told air traffic controllers.
Authorities in Oregon identified the man as Joseph David Emerson, 44. He was being held Monday on 83 counts each of attempted murder and reckless endangerment and one count of endangering an aircraft, according to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office.
The San Francisco-bound flight on Sunday diverted to Portland, Oregon, where Emerson was taken into custody by officers from the Port of Portland. He is to be arraigned Tuesday.
Seattle-based Alaska Airlines, which owns Horizon, a regional carrier, did not name Emerson, but said Monday that the threat was posed by one of its pilots who was off duty but authorized to occupy the cockpit jump seat.
The airline said in a statement that the captain and co-pilot «quickly responded, engine power was not lost and the crew secured the aircraft without incident.” Alaska said no weapons were involved.
One of the pilots told air traffic controllers that the man who posed the threat had been removed from the cockpit and was in handcuffs in the back of the plane.
“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, and I think he’s subdued,» one of the pilots said on audio captured by LiveATC.net. «Other than that, we want law enforcement as soon as we get on the ground and parked.”
Bailey Beck, who was on the flight, described to SFGate the
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