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Off-duty pilot tries to bring down plane mid-flight
An off-duty pilot has been arrested for what Alaska Airlines called a ‘credible security threat.’
Joseph David Emerson was sat in the jump seat of a Seattle Plaine Field-San Francisco flight and attempted to take control of the plane inside the cockpit.
The on-duty pilot told air traffic control Emerson attempted to turn off the aircraft’s engines while in flight.
The ‘authorized occupant’ was quickly subdued, and the flight was diverted to Portland.
Pilots, of the same or other airlines, sometimes use a cockpit jump seat to fly to other airports to start duty or return to their home base out of hours.
He was arrested by Port of Portland Police.
“Following appropriate FAA procedures and guidance from air traffic control, the flight safely diverted to Portland,” Alaska Airlines said.
The flight was operated by Horizon Air, a regional carrier owned by Alaska Air.
Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office has now filed charges against Emerson.
He is facing 83 counts of attempted murder, 83 counts of reckless endangerment, and one count of endangering an aircraft.
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