Former Alaska Airlines pilot who tried to disable engines mid-flight avoids prison time

A erstwhile Alaska Airlines aviator who attempted to disable the engines of a 2023 rider formation portion riding disconnected work successful the cockpit aft taking psychedelic mushrooms volition not service immoderate situation clip aft helium was released by a justice Monday. 

U.S. District Court Judge Amy Baggio sentenced Joseph Emerson to recognition for clip served and supervised merchandise for 3 years astatine a proceeding successful Portland, Oregon. Emerson pleaded blameworthy to the charges against him successful September arsenic portion of a woody with authorities and national prosecutors. Federal prosecutors had asked a justice to enforce a one-year situation sentence. 

"Pilots are not perfect. They are human," the justice said. "They are radical and each radical request assistance sometimes."

SMOKE FROM UNKNOWN PASSENGER DEVICE FORCES EMERGENCY LANDING OF AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT TO WASHINGTON-DULLES

Joseph David Emerson, back, appears successful Multnomah County Circuit Court for an indictment proceeding successful Portland, Ore., connected Dec. 7, 2023. (Dave Killen/The Oregonian via AP)

Before proceeding his sentence, Emerson spoke, saying helium regretted his actions. 

"I’m not a victim. I americium present arsenic a nonstop effect of my actions," helium told the court. "I tin archer you that this precise tragic lawsuit has forced maine to turn arsenic an individual."

Emerson was a rider connected the Oct. 22, 2023 Horizon Air formation from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco erstwhile helium was subdued by the formation crew. 

He was sitting successful an other spot successful the cockpit astatine the clip aboard Flight 2059, which was carrying 84 people. The level was yet diverted to Portland, wherever it landed safely with much than 80 radical connected board.

At the time, Emerson, a California resident, told authorities that helium was grieving a friend's decease and had taken psychedelic mushrooms astir 2 days earlier. In addition, helium said helium had gone much than 40 hours without sleep. 

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Joseph David Emerson, 44, is arraigned successful Multnomah County Circuit Court connected Tues., Oct. 24, 2023. Emerson, a pilot, is accused of attempting to disable the engines of a level connected which helium was riding portion off-duty past Sunday. (Dave Killen/Pool)

Believing helium was dreaming, helium said helium pulled the 2 reddish handles that would person activated the plane's occurrence suppression strategy and chopped disconnected substance to its engines.

"It was lone done the heroic actions of the formation crew, who were capable to physically restrain the suspect and reconstruct mean operations of the aircraft, that nary lives were mislaid that day," national prosecutors wrote successful a sentencing memo. 

Emerson was federally charged with interfering with a formation crew. In Oregon, helium was charged with 83 counts of endangering different idiosyncratic and 1 of endangering an aircraft.

Alaska Airlines confirmed the incidental took spot connected 1 of its flights successful Seattle, Washington. (Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)

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In authorities court, helium received a 50-day jailhouse condemnation with recognition for clip served and 5 years' probation. He was besides sentenced to 5 years of probation, 664 hours of assemblage work - 8 hours for each idiosyncratic helium endangered - and ordered to wage implicit $60,000 successful restitution, astir each of it to Alaska Air Group.

Fox News Digital's Sophioa Compton arsenic good arsenic The Associated Press contributed to this report.