The former Alaska Airlines pilot who attempted to shut down a Horizon Air flight’s engines mid-air while riding jumpseat was sentenced Monday to three years of court supervision.
Joseph Emerson pleaded guilty or no-contest to all state and federal charges in September, a move his attorney said was intended to accept responsibility and avoid further time behind bars. Prosecutors in the federal case requested a one-year prison term, while defense attorneys asked for probation.
Emerson was deadheading on an Oct. 22, 2023 Horizon Air flight from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco when he attempted to engage the Embraer E175’s engine fire suppression system. The crew subdued him, restored normal operations and diverted the flight to Portland, where all of the more than 80 people on board arrived safely.
In interviews with police, the former Alaska Airlines pilot said he was wrestling with depression after the death of a friend, had not slept in more than 40 hours, had taken psychedelic mushrooms two days earlier and believed at the time that he was dreaming. After leaving the cockpit, Emerson requested to be cuffed by a flight attendant.
Emerson further told police at the time of his arrest that he did not want a lawyer and would not fight any charges brought against him.
Federal prosecutors wrote that “heroic actions” by the flight crew prevented loss of life, according to Associated Press reporting.
In Oregon state court, Emerson pleaded no-contest to endangering another person and endangering an aircraft and was sentenced to 50 days in jail, credited as time served. He was further sentenced with five years of probation, 664 hours of community service and more than $60,000 in restitution. He also must undergo drug, alcohol and mental health treatment and stay at least 25 feet from operable aircraft.
Interfering with a flight crew carries a maximum federal sentence of 20 years. Emerson told the court in September he was grateful to the crew for restraining him, saying the incident forced him to confront long-standing mental health issues.
Since the incident, Emerson and his wife founded Clear Skies Ahead. The nonprofit organization is dedicated to making it easier for pilots to access mental health and other medical care services that are often delayed or avoided entirely by pilots for fear of losing their medical certificates.
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