Emerson faces a federal charge of interfering with a flight crew and 83 attempted murder charges in a Multnomah County circuit court.
6:25 AM PDT October 26, 2023allegedly tried to cut the engines of a jet mid-flightJoseph David Emerson, 44, faces a federal charge of interfering with a flight crew, filed by the U.S. Attorney's office in Portland. Emerson also faces 83 counts of attempted murder for the 83 other people on the flight. He pleaded not guilty to those charges on Tuesday.
Emerson was arrested on Sunday night after a Horizon Air flight crew reported that he attempted to shut down the plane's engines while riding in the extra seat in the cockpit. Two pilots on the flight from Everett's Paine Field to San Francisco told police that before the incident Emerson had a casual conversation with them about aircraft types. The pilot who was flying the aircraft told police there was"zero indication of anything wrong," according to the federal affidavit.'
About halfway between Astoria, Ore. and Portland, Ore., one pilot said Emerson threw his headset across the cockpit and said,"I'm not OK," before grabbing the red fire handles and pulling them down partway. The handles activate the system used to put out aircraft engine fires. It would also shut off the fuel supply to the engines and turn the airplane into a"glider" in seconds, according to the affidavit.
After he was arrested in Oregon, Emerson told police that he had not slept in 40 hours and had taken psychedelic mushrooms 48 hours before the flight.
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