Alaska Airlines erstwhile pilot who tried to cut 737 engine fuel pleads guilty

SEATTLE– A former Alaska Airlines (AS) pilot accused of trying to disable the engines of a Horizon Air flight in 2023 is set to enter guilty and no-contest pleas in federal and state courts.

Joseph Emerson, who was off duty but occupying a cockpit seat during the Everett (PAE) to San Francisco (SFO) flight, reached plea agreements with prosecutors in exchange for reduced sentencing considerations.

Photo: By Eric Salard – N408AS LAX, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43543100

Alaska Airlines Ex-Pilot Guilty

On October 22, 2023, Horizon Air flight crews subdued Emerson after he attempted to pull two red handles that would have shut off fuel to the engines by activating the aircraft’s fire suppression system. The flight, carrying more than 80 people, diverted safely to Portland (PDX).

Investigators later learned Emerson had not slept for over 40 hours, had consumed psychedelic mushrooms two days earlier, and was struggling emotionally following the death of a friend.

He told police he believed he was dreaming and pulled the handles in an attempt to wake himself up.

Federal prosecutors charged Emerson with interfering with a flight crew, while Oregon state authorities indicted him on 83 counts of endangering passengers and one count of endangering an aircraft. Initially, Emerson pleaded not guilty to all charges.

In December 2023, he was released under strict conditions, including mandatory mental health care, abstaining from drugs and alcohol, and avoiding any proximity to aircraft.

Photo: By Adam Moreira (AEMoreira042281) – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=81045964

Plea Agreements and Sentencing

On Friday, Emerson is expected to plead guilty to the federal charge and no-contest to state charges. The federal plea agreement allows prosecutors to recommend up to one year in prison, though his attorneys will seek no additional time.

The state agreement includes:

• Five years of probation
• 664 hours of community service (eight hours per endangered passenger)
• $60,569 in restitution, most of it to Alaska Air Group
• Substance abuse and mental health treatment requirements
• A restriction to remain 25 feet from operable aircraft unless cleared by his probation officer

Half of his community service can be fulfilled through a pilot health nonprofit he founded following his arrest.

The incident drew renewed attention to cockpit safety protocols and pilot mental health. Aviation experts note the importance of early intervention, support systems for pilots, and ongoing screening to balance safety with addressing mental health challenges in the industry.

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