of the airplane he was on described his mental health problems and previous use of psychedelics, according to a federal affidavit.was diverted to Portland Sunday night after Joseph Emerson, who was authorized to ride in the cockpit, reached for the emergency engine shutdown midflight.Emerson, a 44-year-old pilot with Alaska Airlines, was charged Tuesday with one count of interfering with a flight crew after he tried to engage the emergency engine shutdown mid-flight.
One of the pilots recounted the incident to authorities, saying that when he saw Emerson reaching for the handles, he grabbed his wrists and wrestled against him, preventing Emerson from pulling the shutdown handle. As one pilot stopped Emerson, the other declared an inflight emergency and redirected the plane to Portland.
When in police custody in Portland, Emerson waived his Miranda rights and told officers he believed he was having a “nervous breakdown,” he felt dehydrated and tired and had not slept in 40 hours.