Off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot tries to shut down engines mid-flight after magic mushroom-induced nervous breakdown

An off-duty pilot made a terrifying attempt to disable the engines of an Alaska Airlines flight while it was mid-air. According to court documents, he later explained to the police that he was in the midst of a nervous breakdown, having ingested psychedelic mushrooms two days before and not having slept for a staggering 40 hours.

What

Joseph David Emerson, the 44-year-old Alaska Airlines pilot, was riding shotgun in the cockpit's "jump seat" as a standby passenger on a flight from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco. Suddenly, things took a surreal twist. 

• A scuffle broke out in the cockpit between Emerson, the captain, and the first officer, as they discovered they weren't on the same page about the flight's entertainment choices when he decided to test whether airplanes could fly without engines.
• It was the quick thinking and action of the cabin crew that managed to restrain Emerson. The flight was then diverted to Portland, Oregon, where it landed safely.

Aftermath

The legal consequences for Emerson are severe, with charges including 83 counts of attempted murder, each representing one person aboard the plane, except himself.

• He was also charged with a single count of endangering an aircraft in Oregon state court.
• At his arraignment, he pleaded not guilty and was ordered to remain in custody until a detention hearing in the next five days.
• Additionally, Emerson faces federal charges for interfering with flight crew members and attendants.

Psilocybin

Emerson's startling admission to the police revealed the disturbing circumstances surrounding this incident.

• He stated that he was going through a mental crisis at the time and had been grappling with depression for the past six months.
• He also confessed to having consumed 'magic' psilocybin mushrooms 48 hours prior to boarding the plane, shedding light on the potential role of hallucinogens in this distressing episode.

Crisis averted

The near-disastrous consequences of Emerson's actions came perilously close to shutting down the aircraft's engines, endangering the lives of everyone on board.

• Had he fully engaged the critical safety mechanisms he attempted to activate, the plane could have been rendered powerless and turned into a glider. 

Alaska Air Group, the parent company of the airline, claimed that there were no observable signs of impairment during Emerson's check-in or boarding process that would have prompted them to prevent him from flying.

• The flight, numbered Alaska Airlines Flight 2059, was operated by the group's regional subsidiary, Horizon Air.

Quick note

It's important to mention that psilocybin, the psychoactive compound in "magic mushrooms," has shown potential in treating anxiety, depression, and other mental disorders. 

READ MORE: Psychedelics can make your brain grow more cells but they are no magic solution

• In 2020, Oregon became the first US state to decriminalize psilocybin and legalize its supervised therapeutic use for adults. 

ALSO READ: Psychedelic psilocybin mushrooms, with therapy, can drastically cut down alcohol use

However, the combination of psilocybin use with an off-duty pilot's emotional distress had dire consequences in this case, highlighting the critical importance of mental health and substance use assessments within the aviation industry.