An off-duty pilot almost caused a disaster after he tried to bring down a plane full of passengers.
According to police reports, the suspect who was identified as Joseph David Emerson was sitting in the cockpit of an Alaska Airlines flight behind the captain and the first officer.
The 44-year-old unsuccessfully attempted to disrupt the plane’s engine operation mid-air before he was subdued on Sunday night October 22.
In a recording of air traffic control communication, one of the pilots was heard saying: “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 any issue in the back right now.”
“I think he’s subdued,” the pilot added. He requested police presence “as soon as we get on the ground and parked”.
The flight was on its way from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco, California, with 80 passengers aboard.
It was diverted to Portland, Oregon, and the suspect was subdued without incident, officials said.
After addressing the incident, all passengers were allowed to travel on a later flight.
“We are grateful for the professional handling of the situation by the Horizon flight crew and appreciate our guests’ calm and patience throughout this event,” the airline added.
The incident is now being investigated by the Port of Portland Police Department and the FBI, Alaska Airlines stated.
It is not clear why Emerson wanted to bring down the plane but the FBI launched further investigations to establish the motive.
He is expected to be charged with attempted murder, 83 counts of reckless endangerment, and one count of endangering an aircraft.
