Off-duty pilot accused of trying to cut the engines on an Alaska Airlines flight
An off-duty pilot who was in a jump seat in the cockpit of an Alaska Airlines flight on Sunday was charged with more than 80 counts of attempted murder after he tried to cut fuel to the engines, prompting the plane to divert to Portland, Ore., the authorities said. Flight 2059, operated by Horizon Airlines, an Alaska Airlines regional subsidiary, left Everett, Wash., around 5:23 p.m. and was headed to San Francisco when it reported “a credible security threat related to an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot who was traveling in the flight deck jump seat,” Alaska Airlines said in a statement on Monday. An airline spokeswoman said that the off-duty pilot tried to deploy the plane’s fire suppression system, which includes handles that, when pulled, close valves in the wings, shutting off fuel to the engines. “After they are pulled, some residual fuel remains in the line, and the quick reaction of our crew to reset the handles restored fuel flow and prevented fuel starvation,” Alaska Airlines said. One of the plane’s pilots told an air traffic controller that “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 issues in the back right now,” according to an audio recording posted on LiveATC.net, which shares live and archived recordings of air-traffic-control radio transmissions. “I think he is subdued,” the pilot added. The Port of Portland Police Department said in a statement that the flight crew “was able to detain the subject and the flight landed safely at Portland International Airport just before 6:30 p.m.” The man was taken into custody without incident. The department identified him as Joseph D. Emerson. According to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Mr. Emerson, 44, was booked into jail on Monday morning on more than 80 counts of attempted murder, a felony; more than 80 counts of reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor; and one count of endangering an aircraft, a felony.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2023-10-24/oneworld/off-duty-pilot-accused-of-trying-to-cut-the-engines-on-an-alaska-airlines-flight
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Off-duty pilot accused of trying to cut the engines on an Alaska Airlines flight
An off-duty pilot who was in a jump seat in the cockpit of an Alaska Airlines flight on Sunday was charged with more than 80 counts of attempted murder after he tried to cut fuel to the engines, prompting the plane to divert to Portland, Ore., the authorities said. Flight 2059, operated by Horizon Airlines, an Alaska Airlines regional subsidiary, left Everett, Wash., around 5:23 p.m. and was headed to San Francisco when it reported “a credible security threat related to an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot who was traveling in the flight deck jump seat,” Alaska Airlines said in a statement on Monday. An airline spokeswoman said that the off-duty pilot tried to deploy the plane’s fire suppression system, which includes handles that, when pulled, close valves in the wings, shutting off fuel to the engines. “After they are pulled, some residual fuel remains in the line, and the quick reaction of our crew to reset the handles restored fuel flow and prevented fuel starvation,” Alaska Airlines said. One of the plane’s pilots told an air traffic controller that “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 issues in the back right now,” according to an audio recording posted on LiveATC.net, which shares live and archived recordings of air-traffic-control radio transmissions. “I think he is subdued,” the pilot added. The Port of Portland Police Department said in a statement that the flight crew “was able to detain the subject and the flight landed safely at Portland International Airport just before 6:30 p.m.” The man was taken into custody without incident. The department identified him as Joseph D. Emerson. According to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Mr. Emerson, 44, was booked into jail on Monday morning on more than 80 counts of attempted murder, a felony; more than 80 counts of reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor; and one count of endangering an aircraft, a felony.<br/>
