Alaska Airlines flight diverted, off-duty pilot Joseph Emerson arrested for trying to cut engines midflight, officials say

An Alaska Airlines flight made an emergency diversion to Portland, Oregon, on Sunday after an off-duty pilot in the cockpit unsuccessfully tried to shut down the plane's engines midflight, according to officials and a source who confirmed details to CBS News' Kris Van Cleave. A suspect, identified as Joseph Emerson, was taken into custody by police and charged with attempted murder after the plane landed safely at Portland's airport, officials confirmed to CBS News.

According to online jail records from the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office, Emerson, 44, is facing multiple charges including 83 counts of attempted murder.

An air traffic control recording during the incident captured the pilot saying, "We've got the guy that tried to shut the engines down out of the cockpit."

Emerson, who according to jail records is 6 feet, 1 inch tall and weighs 210 pounds, was arrested on state charges. The FBI said it was also investigating the incident.

"There is no continuing threat related to this incident," the FBI's field office in Portland said in the statement.

On Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration sent guidance to U.S. air carriers that the incident was "not connected in any way shape or form to current world events." A law enforcement official told CBS News investigators haven't seen a link to terrorism.

Joshua Skule, a former FBI executive assistant director for intelligence, told CBS News investigators were going to look into what may have triggered the incident.

"They are going to unpack this person's life," Skule said. "… They are going to go through his social media, all of his computers, his phones."

The incident happened onboard Alaska Airlines Flight 2059, which was operated by Horizon Air, Alaska Airlines said in a statement. The flight was heading from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco with 80 passengers and four crew members onboard, including Emerson.

The airline said an off-duty Alaska pilot, later identified by officials as Emerson, was traveling in the jump seat in the cockpit and unsuccessfully tried to "disrupt the operation of the engines." The alleged attempt to shut down the engines happened about 30 minutes into the flight while the plane was flying at about 31,000 feet.

Emerson allegedly tried to pull the engine fire handle, which activates the plane engines' fire suppression system, Alaska Airlines told CBS News. If the handle is pulled, a valve in the wing closes and shuts off fuel to the engine. 

"In this case, the quick reaction of our crew to reset the T-handles ensured engine power was not lost," Alaska Airlines spokesperson Cailee Lyngaas told CBS News.

Retired airline pilot and former NTSB chair Robert Sumwalt told CBS News that for someone sitting in a cockpit jumpseat, "All he or she would have to do is reach up and grab something to be able to turn the engines off."

The Horizon captain and first officer stopped Emerson and landed the plane just before 6:30 p.m. PDT in Portland, where Emerson was taken into custody without incident, according to the airport. 

"He doesn't sound like he's causing any issue in the back right now, and I think he's subdued," the pilot on the air traffic control recording said. "Other than that, yeah, we want law enforcement as soon as we get on the ground and parked."

Once he was removed from the cockpit, Emerson was handcuffed in the back of the plane for the duration of the flight. 

"It seems like he settled down as soon as he, uh, after one moment of going a little bit overboard," the pilot told flight control.

No injuries were reported, the FBI said.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg expressed gratitude on social media to the flight crew and air traffic controllers who safely got the plane to Portland. He said the FAA will focus on "any safety considerations for the future that emerge from investigations."

In a statement commending the pilots and flight crew, the Air Line Pilots Association called its profession "one of the most highly vetted and scrutinized careers." The group said pilots in North America are "continuously evaluated throughout their careers" through medical exams, random flight checks by the FAA and other initiatives.

A Multnomah County Circuit Court spokesperson told CBS News that Emerson was booked in jail at 4:11 a.m. PDT Monday and could appear in court as early as Tuesday.

In Portland, Transportation Security Administration officers rescreened all of the passengers, who boarded another San Francisco-bound plane, the agency said in a statement.

Alaska Airlines said, "We are grateful for the professional handling of the situation by the Horizon flight crew and appreciate our guests' calm and patience throughout this event."

Emerson was first hired by Horizon Air in 2001 as a first officer, a spokesperson for Alaska Airlines said. He left in 2012 and joined Virgin America as a pilot, and then became an Alaska Airlines first officer when the airline acquired Virgin America in 2016. He became an Alaska Airlines captain in 2019.

"Throughout his career, Emerson completed his mandated FAA medical certifications in accordance with regulatory requirements, and at no point were his certifications denied, suspended or revoked," Lyngaas told CBS News.

In:
• Travel
• Federal Aviation Administration
• Alaska Airlines
• Oregon
• FBI
• Crime

Alex Sundby

Alex Sundby is a senior editor for CBSNews.com.

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