The off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot accused of trying to shut down the engines of an airborne plane last year spoke on the incident for the first time.
In an interview with ABC's "Good Morning America," Joseph Emerson, 44, recalled the events of Oct. 22, 2023, when he was sat in a jump seat of the cockpit of and allegedly tried to shut down the plane’s engines by activating a fire suppression system. The plane, Flight 2059 operated by Alaska Airlines subsidiary Horizon Air, was traveling from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco and was diverted to Portland.
"I did something unfathomable to me, something I have to take responsibility for and I regret," he said.
Emerson told investigators at the time that he took psychedelic mushrooms 48 hours before the incident, that he had been depressed and that he believed he was experiencing a mental breakdown, according to authorities.
While research that psychedelic drugs can be used as therapy for mental conditions has yielded good outcomes over the past few years, the drugs' impact can last for days, weeks or longer after the substance is no longer detectable in the body.
"There was a feeling of being trapped, like am I trapped in this airplane?" Emerson said to GMA's Gio Benitez. "This is not real, I need to wake up."
Emerson said he reached up and grabbed two red handles in front of him that are meant to shut off engines in the case of a fire because he thought it would help wake him up. Luckily, it was a failed attempt.
"It’s 30 seconds of my life that I wish I could change, and I can’t," Emerson said.
In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration said they encourage pilots to seek help for mental health conditions because "most, if treated, do not disqualify someone from flying."
"In fact, only about 0.1% of medical certificate applicants who disclose health issues are denied," the FAA said. "Treating these conditions early is important, and that is why the FAA has approved more antidepressants for use by pilots and air traffic controllers."
The FAA also said it established the Mental Health and Aviation Medical Clearances Rulemaking Committee last year "to identify ways to break down barriers that discourage pilots from reporting and seeking care for mental health issues," and are hiring more mental health professionals to help provide more education to pilots.
Emerson was initially charged with more than 80 counts of attempted murder, but those charges where reduced to reckless endangerment. He was released from custody in December and is awaiting trial. He has pled not guilty to the charges.
Emerson’s attorney, Noah Horst, has said that “he would never intentionally hurt another person,” and that “Joe was not under the influence of any intoxicants when he boarded that flight.”
No one was injured in the incident.
