For 20 years, Joseph D Emerson had a profitable profession as an airline pilot. He joined the Alaska Air Group in 2001 as a first officer, earlier than turning into a pilot in 2019.
But, on Sunday, one thing all of a sudden modified when the pilot was involved in an incident that has shocked individuals who know him to the core.
While travelling within the flight deck bounce seat within the cockpit of a airplane flying from Seattle to San Francisco, the 44-year-old allegedly tried to reduce off gas to the engines.
He was subdued by the flight crew, arrested and hit with 167 charges, together with 83 counts of first-degree tried homicide. He now additionally faces a federal cost of interfering with flight crew members and attendants.
No one was harm within the incident, authorities stated, however the FBI is working with the Port of Portland police to examine the incident.
Many questions stay unanswered as to what led Mr Emerson to allegedly try to crash the airplane mid-flight.
Here’s what we all know to this point:
What occurred on the flight?
Authorities stated Mr Emerson, who was off-duty on the time, was travelling within the flight deck bounce seat within the cockpit when he all of a sudden tried to shut down each of the airplane’s engines by pulling the hearth extinguisher handles.
The 44-year-old was then subdued by flight crew because the captain and first officer intervened to preserve the engines operating. Mr Emerson was escorted by a flight attendant to the rear of the plane the place he was positioned in wrist restraints and belted into the aft bounce seat, reportedly warning cabin crew: “You need to cuff me right now or it’s going to be bad,” in accordance to affidavits.
According to Alaska Airlines, Mr Emerson additionally tried to seize the deal with of the emergency exit in the course of the plane’s descent earlier than being stopped by a flight attendant.
A flight attendant informed police she heard Mr Emerson say: “I messed everything up,” and that he had said that he had “tried to kill everybody.”
The flight, which was travelling from Seattle to San Francisco, was diverted to Portland, and all 80 passengers on board had been ready to board a new airplane.
Passengers who had been on board the airplane informed ABC News that they weren’t instantly alerted to what Alaska Airlines known as the “security threat”, till a flight attendant informed them over the speaker that there was “an emergency situation and the plane needed to land immediately”.
A employee cleans a jet bridge at Paine Field in Everett, Washington, earlier than passengers board an Alaska Airlines flight
(Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
Once the airplane landed, police boarded the plane and arrested Mr Emerson, escorting him off the airplane handcuffed.
Aubrey Gavello, one of many passengers on the airplane, informed Laura Coates Live the suspect was calm and cooperative as he was escorted off the airplane.
Following the incident Mr Emerson was faraway from service indefinitely and relieved from all duties at Alaska Airlines. The airline stated it was now consulting with its companions in labour relating to his employment standing.
Who is Joseph D Emerson?
Joseph D Emerson was taken into custody and hit with 167 charges, together with 83 counts of first-degree tried homicide, 83 counts of reckless endangerment and one rely of endangering an plane, in accordance to authorities.
He has pleaded not responsible to the costs.
He was additionally charged individually in federal courtroom with one rely of interfering with flight crew members and attendants.
His alleged motive for the incident stays unclear.
Prior to the incident Mr Emerson was a pilot with Alaska Airlines. According to the airline he joined Alaska Air Group as a Horizon First Officer in August 2001.
In June 2012, Mr Emerson left Horizon to be part of Virgin America as a pilot however turned an Alaska Airlines First Officer following Alaska’s acquisition of Virgin America in 2016. He turned an Alaska Airlines Captain in 2019.
Neighbours of the 44-year-old informed The Daily Mail he lives together with his spouse and two younger sons in California. He was described by neighbours as a “friendly” and “fantastic father”.
Joseph Emerson is charged with tried homicide
(Joseph Emerson/Facebook)
“He plays with the kids all the time,” Karen Yee informed the outlet.
“He’s just a great guy. He’s very understanding of other people,” she stated.
“We just couldn’t imagine him doing anything to hurt someone. It’s very hard for us to believe that he would do anything intentionally like that,” she added. “I can’t fathom him doing anything that would hurt anyone.”
Meanwhile, her husband Ed Yee described the incident as “very shocking”.
“He seems like a really nice guy. Nothing abnormal about him,” he informed CNN.
What was the motive?
It just isn’t identified why Mr Emerson allegedly tried to crash the airplane, although he reportedly informed police following his arrest that he had had “a nervous breakdown” and had taken psychadelic mushrooms two days earlier.
According to a federal affidavit seen by The Independent, he informed police he was experiencing a “nervous breakdown,” and had not slept in 40 hours. Mr Emerson defined to the officers: “I didn’t feel okay. It seemed like the pilots weren’t paying attention to what was going on. They didn’t…it didn’t seem right.”
He added: “I pulled both emergency shut-off handles because I thought I was dreaming and I just wanna wake up,” courtroom paperwork state.
He additionally informed police he had struggled with melancholy for the previous six months.
Meanwhile, Alaska Airlines stated Mr Emerson didn’t have a historical past of medical points.
“Throughout his career, Emerson completed his mandated FAA medical certifications in accordance with regulatory requirements, and at no point were his certifications denied, suspended or revoked,” Alaska Airlines stated in a assertion.
Alaska Airlines Pilot Arrested for Trying to Disable Engines
A Federal Aviation Administration pilot database additionally confirmed Mr Emerson obtained a medical clearance final month.
Alaska Air Group stated in a assertion that at no time in the course of the check-in or boarding course of did staff observe any indicators of impairment that will have led them to forestall Mr Emerson from flying.
A police officer additionally famous that Mr Emerson didn’t seem to be “outwardly under the influence of intoxicants.”
Alaska Airlines stated they’re “deeply disturbed” by the 44-year-old’s actions.
Passengers on the airplane stated they had been informed by a flight attendant that Mr Emerson suffered a psychological breakdown.
“After we did land and the gentleman was escorted off, the flight attendant obtained again on the speaker and stated, plain and easy, ‘He had a mental breakdown. We needed to get him off the plane immediately’,’ Aubrey Gavello informed ABC.
Records from the Federal Aviation Administration, which is supporting the regulation enforcement investigation, present the 44-year-old didn’t maintain a certification to fly the ERJ 175 – the kind of airplane concerned in Sunday’s incident.
Authorities don’t imagine the incident was an act of terrorism or ideologically-motivated violence, in accordance to CNN.
