On September 5, 2025, Joseph Emerson, a former Alaska Airlines pilot, stood before two courts in Portland, Oregon, to accept responsibility for a harrowing incident that rattled the airline industry and reignited debates over cockpit safety and pilot mental health. Emerson, 46, pleaded guilty in federal court to interfering with flight crew members and attendants, and entered a no-contest plea to state charges stemming from his attempt to shut down the engines of a Horizon Air passenger flight while riding off-duty in the cockpit jump seat in October 2023. The sequence of events, the aftermath, and the broader implications have all come under intense scrutiny as details emerge about what happened—and why.
The incident unfolded on October 22, 2023, aboard a Horizon Air flight traveling from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco. Emerson, who was not assigned to fly that day, was occupying the cockpit’s extra seat as an off-duty crew member. According to court records cited by ABC News and the Associated Press, the flight was proceeding normally until, somewhere between Astoria and Portland, Emerson suddenly declared, “I’m not okay,” threw his headset, and reached for two red emergency handles. These handles, if fully pulled, would have activated the plane’s fire suppression system and cut off fuel to both engines—a move that could have resulted in catastrophe for the more than 80 people on board.
Emerson’s actions were quickly noticed by the flight crew, who physically intervened. As described in the federal plea agreement and reported by ABC News, the crew “had to grab my hands and wrists to pull them away from the handles and restow them so the engines would not shut down.” Thanks to their swift response, the engines remained operational, and the aircraft was safely diverted to Portland, where it landed without further incident. The pilots’ training and vigilance were later credited with averting disaster.
In the aftermath, Emerson was arrested and told police that he had been in a mental health crisis. He admitted to having used psilocybin mushrooms—commonly known as psychedelic mushrooms—two days prior to the flight, while in Washington with friends mourning the death of his best friend, who was also a pilot. Emerson explained that he hadn’t slept for approximately 48 hours and was suffering from lingering drug effects. “I believed I was either dreaming and felt an overwhelming need to wake up,” Emerson stated in his court filing. “In an effort to wake up from my ‘dream’ I knowingly pulled the dual fire extinguisher handles for the aircraft engines while the aircraft was flying.” He added, “I knew that doing this would shut the engines off but at the time I felt that doing so would wake me up from my dream and I would be with my family.”
Emerson’s attorney, Noah Horst, told the Associated Press that his client agreed to the plea deals because he wanted to take responsibility and avoid further time behind bars. Emerson, who previously pleaded not guilty, changed his plea to guilty in federal court and no contest in state court—a legal move that carries the same effect as a guilty plea. The federal charge of interfering with a flight crew carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, with sentencing scheduled for November 17, 2025. Under the plea agreement, prosecutors may recommend up to one year in prison, while Emerson’s attorneys will seek no additional time.
On the state level, Emerson was indicted by a Multnomah County grand jury on 83 misdemeanor counts of recklessly endangering another person—one for each person on board—and one felony count of endangering aircraft in the first degree. Judge Cheryl Albrecht sentenced him to 50 days in jail, which was already satisfied by time served, five years probation, and 664 hours of community service (eight hours for each victim). He was also ordered to pay $60,569 in restitution, nearly all of it to Alaska Air Group. As part of the agreement, Emerson must undergo assessments for drug, alcohol, and mental health treatment, refrain from using non-prescribed drugs, and keep at least 25 feet away from operable aircraft unless permitted by his probation officer. Notably, half of his community service can be performed at Clear Skies Ahead, a pilot health nonprofit Emerson founded after his arrest to raise awareness about pilot mental health.
The sentencing hearings were emotionally charged. Several victims, including passengers from the flight, delivered impact statements. One passenger, quoted by the Associated Press, said, “I have flown with more anxiety since that day, and I will continue to fly because I must—but I will never, ever feel as safe stepping onto an airplane, and no one should have to feel this way.” Another passenger, through a statement read by the prosecutor, expressed hope that Emerson would use his community service to educate others about the dangers of psychedelics. The plea agreement, however, drew mixed reactions—one passenger called it “insufficient,” urging the judge to send a strong message to deter similar incidents in the future.
Emerson, in his own remarks to the court, expressed deep remorse. “I regret the harm that I caused to every single person on board that airplane—crew members and guests,” he said. “I regret the harm I caused to my profession.” He also acknowledged the support of the flight crew, saying, “because they saved my life,” and discussed his ongoing recovery from alcohol abuse. “Today, I get to be the dad I was incapable of when I had to use alcohol to deal with life as life is,” he told the court, as reported by ABC News. Emerson pledged to speak publicly about pilot mental health and the risks of substance use, stating, “I will speak to people who think, as I did on October the 20th, that I had everything under control, but I was incapable of grasping that I needed help.”
The case has renewed scrutiny of cockpit safety and the mental fitness of those entrusted with passenger lives. According to the Associated Press, Alaska Airlines confirmed that Emerson held a valid FAA medical certificate and was eligible for the cockpit jump seat as a current Alaska Airlines captain. The airline has since relieved him of his duties. Gate agents and the crew reported no signs of impairment before the flight, highlighting the challenges of detecting mental health crises in highly regulated environments.
Emerson’s experience has also sparked broader conversations about hallucinogen persisting perception disorder—a condition his jail physician later identified, which can cause persistent visual hallucinations or perception issues for days after psychedelic use. The incident, and Emerson’s subsequent advocacy, have prompted calls for more robust mental health support for pilots, as well as renewed attention to the policies governing cockpit access and crew monitoring.
As Emerson awaits federal sentencing in November, the aviation industry and the public continue to grapple with the complex intersection of personal tragedy, mental health, and the immense responsibility borne by those at the controls of commercial aircraft. For those on board that fateful flight, and for Emerson himself, the consequences of those thirty seconds in the cockpit will not soon be forgotten.
