Air traffic control audio from an Alaska Airlines flight that was nearly derailed by an off-duty pilot who tried to shut down the engine caught the crew sounding the alarm that he was “a little overboard”.
The audio captures the moments after Joseph Emerson, 44, allegedly tried to activate the fire suppression system, which would have cut fuel to the engine, while in the cockpit jump seat of Sunday’s Washington-to-San Francisco flight.
“We have a guy trying to shut down the engine out of the cockpit and he doesn’t sound like he’s causing any problems in the back right now,” a pilot told air traffic control, according to audio obtained by LiveATC .net.
“We want law enforcement as soon as we get on the ground and park,” he said, adding that “we were reduced to a threat level,” which he said initially was 4, the highest, which indicated a violation from the cockpit.
Flight crew told passengers Emerson suffered a “mental breakdown” during the flight on SundayJoseph Emerson/Facebook
“We’ll check with the flight attendant to make sure everything is going well, but it seems she calmed down as soon as she … after a few seconds went overboard,” the pilot continued.
“He was handcuffed and he was in the back jump seat when law enforcement arrived and now he’s staying calm,” the pilot added shortly before making an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon.
Emerson, a married father of two, was indicted on multiple charges, including 83 counts of attempted murder after the terrifying incident aboard Flight 2059, operated by Horizon Air, a regional airline owned by Alaska Airlines.
Passenger Aubrey Gavello shared a photo of police removing Emerson from the plane. Courtesy of Aubrey Gavello
He was also charged with reckless endangerment and one count of endangering an aircraft, according to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon.
Emerson allegedly tried to pull the emergency controls for the Embraer 175’s number one and number two engines, even though they would only be used in the event of a fire, an expert told ABC7 Bay Area.
“What I’m going to do is, I’m going to pull this lever up, which is hard to do,” Hiller Aviation Museum CEO Jon Welte told the outlet.
Joseph Emerson had two children with his wife, Sarah Stretch. The couple lives in Pleasant Hills, California.Joseph Emerson/Facebook Emerson is listed as a certified pilot who received a medical clearanceJoseph Emerson/Facebook
“I need to press this safety button first so it doesn’t happen accidentally. When I pull this up, it cuts off the fuel flow to the engine. This also disconnects hydraulic and electrical power,” he said, explaining the procedure on the Boeing 737.
Turning the lever would turn on the extinguisher, he explained, and if done to both engines the plane would lose its ability to fly.
Ross “Rusty” Aimer, a retired United Airlines pilot and president of Aero Consultants, told the Mercury News that “it would be a disaster if he managed to do what he wanted to do.”
An expert shows how a cockpit fire extinguisher works.KGO-TV Emerson has been hit with 83 counts of attempted murder. Sincerely Aubrey Gavello
Shutting down both engines at least gave the pilots a chance to maintain control of the plane while trying to restart it at cruising altitude, where they would be able to glide about 100 miles in about 20 minutes, he said.
But if only one engine shuts down, the plane will slide to one side from the thrust imbalance, and the pilot will have a hard time regaining control, Aimer added.
In a statement, Alaska Airlines said: “When towed, valves in the wings close to shut off fuel to the engines. After it was pulled, some residual fuel remained in the line, and our crew’s quick response to reset the handle restored fuel flow and prevented fuel starvation.”
Emerson was also charged with reckless endangerment and one count of endangering an aircraft.Joseph Emerson/Facebook
Aimer told the outlet it was hard to imagine an innocent explanation for Emerson’s alleged actions.
“Any pilot knows what that handle is for, even if they don’t fly that particular plane,” Aimer said. “You know what it’s for, and you don’t touch it, you can’t go near it.”
Emerson’s mental health was called into question after the incident — with one passenger saying a flight attendant announced that “he had a mental breakdown,” according to passenger Aubrey Gavello.
Neighbors of Emerson and Stretch said the family seemed very happy and loving parents.
Welte said airline pilots are required to undergo a medical exam every six months.
“A very important part of the examination is to check for any issue of mental illness or any medication that may affect cognitive function, any psychological issue that may have arisen in the six months since the last first class medical examination,” he told ABC7.
The FAA’s pilot database shows Emerson listed as a certified pilot who received a medical clearance last month. Pilots are expected to self-report any mental health conditions.
Airline pilots are required to undergo a medical exam every six months.Joseph Emerson/Facebook
Emerson first joined Alaska Air Group in 2001 as a first officer with Horizon, CNN reported. In 2012, he left Horizon and joined Virgin America as a pilot.
After Alaska Airlines acquired Virgin America in 2016, he became the first officer with Alaska.
“Throughout his career, Emerson completed his mandated FAA medical certification in accordance with regulatory requirements, and at no time was his certification denied, suspended or revoked,” Alaska Airlines said in a statement.
Emerson is being held at the Multnomah County Detention Center in Portland, where he is awaiting trial.
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