2023-10-23 17:51:16
A pilot traveling in the extra seat in the cabin of a Horizon Air passenger plane tried to turn off the engines in mid-flight and had to be subdued by the other two pilots, the AP agency reported.
Authorities in Portland identified the man as Joseph David Emerson, 44.
He was being held Monday on dozens of charges of attempted “homicide and reckless endangerment,” according to the Multnomah County Police Department in Oregon.
Terror in mid-flight: a pilot tried to turn off the engines
Sunday’s flight to San Francisco was diverted to Portland, Oregon, where it was met by police officers.
Alaska Airlines, which owns Horizon, said Monday that the crew reported “a credible security threat related to an authorized occupant in the additional cabin seat.” The airline said in a statement that no weapons were involved.
The incident occurred on a Horizon Air flight that departed Everett, Washington, at 5:23 p.m. and landed in Portland an hour later.
One of the pilots informed air traffic controllers that the man posing the threat had already been removed from the cockpit.
“We took the guy who tried to turn off the engines out of the cabin. And it doesn’t seem like he’s causing any problems back there, and I think he’s subdued,” said one of the pilots in the audio captured on LiveATC.com. “Other than that, we want the authorities as soon as we touch down and park.”
The incident occurred aboard an Embraer 175 aircraft with capacity for 76 passengers. Alaska Airlines did not immediately disclose the number of passengers on board.
The third cabin seat is usually occupied by an off-duty pilot, but may also be used by other airline employees or federal safety inspectors.
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