Off-Duty Pilot Charged With Attempted Murder For Engine Interference On Flight To San Francisco

What Happened: An off-duty pilot was charged with 83 counts of attempted murder after allegedly trying to interfere with an airplane’s engine while the plane was in the air and full of passengers.

The off-duty pilot, Joseph D. Emerson was riding in the cockpit of a plane operated by a regional carrier owned by Alaskan Air Group Inc ALK flying from Seattle to San Francisco on Sunday, and allegedly attempted to turn off the plane’s engines midflight, according to the airline and law officials, CNN reports.

The pilots of the Horizon Airlines flight diverted the plane’s route and landed in Portland instead of its original destination, San Francisco. 

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Under Control: Emerson was subdued and taken out of the cockpit, according to audio that was streamed to LiveATC.net. Alaska Airlines acknowledged the event in a statement and said that law officials will be investigating the matter further. 

“The FBI is investigating and can assure the traveling public there is no continuing threat related to this incident,” Kieran L. Ramsey, an agent at FBI’s Portland division, said in a statement.

Emerson was in the jump seat, an additional seat in the cockpit of the plane. The seat is reserved for FAA or airline employees. Passengers who were on the plane were able to book another flight to San Francisco from Portland later that day. 

“The jump seat occupant unsuccessfully attempted to disrupt the operation of the engines,” Alaska Airlines said in a statement. “The Horizon Captain and First Officer quickly responded, engine power was not lost and the crew secured the aircraft without incident.”

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