An off-duty pilot traveling as a passenger in the cockpit of an Alaska Airlines flight tried to take control of a plane headed from Seattle to San Francisco on Sunday, the airline and a source familiar with the matter said.
One of the pilots assigned to the flight reported to air traffic controllers that a person in the cockpit of flight 2059 attempted to shut down the aircraft’s engines in mid-flight. Pilots occasionally ride in a “folding seat” in the cockpit when traveling in an official capacity or to another airport.
Joseph Emerson, 44, was arrested by the Port of Portland Police Bureau and charged with 83 felony counts of attempted murder, 83 felony counts of reckless endangerment and one count of endangering an aircraft, according to online records.
Emerson is an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot who is accused of attempting to take control of the flight, a source familiar with the matter told CNN.
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The plane took off from Seattle’s Paine Field International Airport and was diverted to Portland International Airport due to a “credible security threat,” the airline said.
“We’ve got the guy who tried to shut the engines off outside the cockpit, and it doesn’t look like he’s causing any problems in the back right now. I think he’s subdued. Other than that, we want law enforcement as soon as we get on the ground and have landed,” the pilot told Seattle-area air traffic controllers in audio recorded by LiveATC.net.
“Following appropriate Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) procedures and air traffic control guidance, the flight was safely diverted to Portland International Airport. The incident is being investigated by law enforcement authorities,” the company said. The flight was operated by Horizon Air, a regional carrier owned by Alaska Airlines.
FAA records indicate Emerson held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings to fly the Airbus A320, Boeing 737, Canadair Regional Jet and De Havilland Dash 8. He did not hold a certificate to fly the Embraer 175, the type of aircraft involved in Sunday’s incident.
In a statement, the FBI’s Portland office confirmed it was investigating the incident and said it could “assure the traveling public that there is no continuing threat related to this incident.”
With information from CNN
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