Photo: Iuliia Bondar/Getty Images
An off-duty pilot has been accused of attempting to interfere with the engines during a flight from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco. As a result, authorities have slapped him with a whopping 83 counts of attempted murder!
Alaska Airlines addressed the matter in a statement released on Monday (Oct. 23). The company acknowledged that it had recently dealt with a “credible security threat related to an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot who was traveling in the flight deck jump seat.”
In fact, the airline states that the off-the-clock pilot “unsuccessfully attempted to disrupt the operation of the engines.” However, the situation was swiftly handled as the plane diverted to Portland, Oregon.
Upon safely landing in Oregon, FBI agents and officers with the Port of Portland Police Department took the man into custody.
CNN identified him as Joseph Emerson, 44, and noted that he was hit with 83 counts of attempted murder. Additionally, he was charged with 83 counts of reckless endangerment, along with one count of endangering an aircraft. Oop!
The outlet cites recordings from the cockpit to relay the on-duty pilot’s message to air traffic controllers.
“We’ve got the guy that tried to shut the engines down out of the cockpit, and he doesn’t sound like he’s causing any issues in the back right now.”
The pilot added, “I think he’s subdued. Other than that, we want law enforcement as soon as we get on the ground and are parked.”
Check out the footage of the plane’s trajectory, shared by NBC Bay Area journalist Sergio Quintana, down below.
This recent Alaska Airlines incident isn’t the only terrifying plane-related mishap to recently unfold.
As The Shade Room reported, a 33-year-old man made headlines in May for allegedly opening the door on an Asiana Air flight. The incident occurred as the plane was preparing to land in Seoul, South Korea, and it was thankfully only about 700 feet in the air.
Ultimately, twelve people reportedly sustained minor injuries, and nine passengers were treated at local hospitals.
A spokesperson for the airline told NBC News, “The male passenger who sat next to the emergency exit door that opened said that he was tinkering with the handle and that he opened the door.”
