An Alaska Airlines flight headed for California was forced to make an emergency landing in Oregon due to a startling incident involving an off-duty pilot situated in the cockpit. The off-duty pilot, 44-year-old Joseph Emerson, who had been traveling as a passenger on Flight 2059, operated by Horizon Air, from Everett, Washington to San Francisco, has been charged with multiple felonies, including 83 counts of attempted murder.
Emerson had occupied the cockpit’s “jump seat,” according to Alaska Airlines. During the flight, a significant security concern was reported by the flight crew regarding the off-duty pilot. Alaska Airlines revealed that the individual in the jump seat attempted, unsuccessfully, to disrupt the operation of the plane’s engines. Fortunately, the Horizon Captain and First Officer acted swiftly, preventing any loss of engine power and safely securing the aircraft.
The Port of Portland Police Department disclosed that the suspect caused an “in-flight disturbance in the cockpit” and was promptly detained by the flight crew. In audio recordings available on LiveATC.net, the pilot on the Alaska Airlines flight can be heard informing air traffic controllers about the incident, stating, “I’ll just give you a heads-up. We’ve got the guy that tried to shut the engines down out of the cockpit.” The pilot reassured that the situation appeared under control and emphasized the need for law enforcement upon landing.
The flight was safely rerouted to Portland International Airport, and all passengers were able to continue their journey on a later flight. Upon landing in Portland, just before 6:30 p.m., Emerson was taken into custody by Port of Portland Police officers without further incident.
