Alaska Airlines Flight Incident: Attempted Engine Disruption by Off-Duty Pilot

2023-10-23 20:25:00

Horizon Air’s Embraer E-175 was en route from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco when the incident occurred Sunday, parent company Alaska Airlines said in a statement. The plane, which was carrying 80 passengers, was diverted to Portland, Oregon, where it landed safely.

According to Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air pilots reported “a credible safety threat related to an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot traveling seated in the cockpit jump seat.”

“The occupant of the jump seat tried in vain to disrupt the operation of the engines,” the company said. “Horizon’s captain and co-pilot responded quickly, engine power was not lost, and the crew secured the aircraft without incident.”

Alaska Airlines did not identify the individual, but a man named Joseph Emerson, 44, was charged Monday by the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Department in Portland with 83 counts of attempted homicide , endangering others and endangering an aircraft.

Live ATC, a website that archives conversations between pilots and air traffic controllers, published an audio recording of the Horizon Air pilot recounting the incident. “We took the guy who tried to cut the engines out of the cockpit,” he said. “And it looks like he’s not causing any problems at the back now.”

“I think it’s under control. Other than that, yes, the police need to be there as soon as we land,” he added, describing the incident as a “level 4” threat. , which involves attempting to compromise flight safety.

An investigation is underway into the facts. Many airlines allow off-duty pilots to travel seated in the cockpit jump seat, a seat located just behind the pilots.

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