Off-Duty Pilot Arrested for Attempting to Shut Down Engines Mid-Flight

An off-duty commercial airline pilot, Joseph David Emerson, age 44, was arrested on Sunday for attempting to shut down the engines of a passenger plane in mid-flight. Emerson now faces federal charges for his actions.

According to court documents, on October 22, 2023, Port of Portland police officers responded to the incident involving a passenger plane en route from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco. The flight had been forced to divert to Portland International Airport due to an in-flight disturbance. Officials say that Joseph David Emerson, an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot occupying a cockpit jump seat, had allegedly tried to shut down the plane’s engines during the flight.

The situation unfolded when, approximately halfway between Astoria, Oregon, and Portland, Emerson initiated a conversation with the plane’s pilots. However, this conversation took a bizarre turn as he attempted to grab and pull two red fire handles, which would have activated the aircraft’s emergency fire suppression system and cut off fuel to the engines. A brief physical struggle ensued, forcing Emerson to exit the cockpit.

Quick-thinking flight attendants immediately restrained Emerson and seated him in the rear of the aircraft. However, his disruptive behavior continued during the flight’s descent, as he made an attempt to open an emergency exit. Fortunately, a flight attendant prevented this action by restraining Emerson.

Following the flight’s landing in Portland, Emerson was taken into custody without further incident. He was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center, facing multiple state charges of attempted murder and reckless endangerment. Emerson remains in custody in Multnomah County, held on a federal hold pending his first appearance in federal court, scheduled for a later date.

This unusual case was investigated by the FBI and the Port of Portland Police Department, and it is currently being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. The motive behind Emerson’s actions remains a subject of investigation as authorities continue to look into this incident.