Pilot took control of plane with 83 people while high on magic mushrooms - and nearly crashed

Joseph David Emerson appears in a courtroom in Portland, Oregon,

A pilot, Joseph David Emerson, 44, was charged with 84 counts of endangerment, one for each person on the plane, and one count of endangering an aircraft. He was arrested in October 2023 after the flight crew reported that he tried to shut down the engines on a Horizon Air flight from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco while sitting in the extra seat in the cockpit.

The plane was redirected to Portland, where it landed safely with over 80 people on board. After his arrest, Emerson confessed to taking drugs and admitted to struggling with depression. He left the cockpit after a brief struggle and was restrained by flight attendants. As the plane descended, he attempted to open an emergency exit but was stopped by a flight attendant.

Joseph David Emerson tried to crash the flight by shutting off the engines, officials said

The captain and first officer prevented him from pulling the emergency levers all the way down. Emerson then walked calmly to the back of the plane, where he told a flight attendant to handcuff him or things would get worse. Another flight attendant overheard him expressing remorse, saying he had messed everything up and tried to harm everyone.

The incident was discussed by aircraft expert Petter Hörnfeldt on his Mentour Pilot podcast. He explained that pilots often fear revealing mental health issues as it could end their careers. Emerson had been struggling with depression after the sudden death of a close friend, which led him to take magic mushrooms with a group of friends who convinced him it was safe and wouldn't show up on drug tests.

The pilot was in the jump seat in the cockpit of the plane

The effects of the mushrooms were more intense and long-lasting than Emerson anticipated. When he boarded Alaska Airlines Flight 2059, the effects worsened. He felt paranoid and questioned the pilots' identities. Ten minutes into the flight, he abruptly stood up, grabbed the fire extinguisher handles, and pulled them, which could have disabled the engines. The pilots reacted quickly and restrained Emerson.

The airline praised the crew's response to the unusual situation. In December 2023, Emerson was indicted on 83 counts of reckless endangerment and one count of endangering an aircraft. He was released from custody on December 7, 2023, and expressed uncertainty about flying again, saying, "I don't know if I'll ever fly an airplane again, I really don't."