The Latest Breaking News from Joseph David Emerson

Ex-Alaska Airlines pilot who tried to cut plane’s engine midflight sentenced

The off-duty pilot pleaded guilty or no-contest to all charges against him in September

The Independent UK · Nov 17, 2025

Passengers sue Alaska Airlines after off-duty pilot tried to down plane

Shocking incident happened as Joseph Emerson, an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot, was permitted to travel in cockpit’s jump seat

The Independent UK · Nov 3, 2023

3 passengers sue Alaska Airlines after off-duty pilot accused of trying to cut engines mid-flight

Three passengers have sued Alaska Airlines saying they suffered emotional distress after an off-duty pilot allgedly tried to shut down the engines of a flight from Washington state to San Francisco

The Independent UK · Nov 3, 2023

Off-duty pilot charged with attempted murder for trying to down plane ‘had taken magic mushrooms’

Joseph David Emerson, 44, was arrested after the plane landed safely in Portland, Oregon on Sunday, 22 October

The Independent UK · Oct 24, 2023

Off-duty pilot pleads not guilty to all charges after attempting to down plane

Joseph David Emerson, 44, was arrested after the plane landed safely in Portland, Oregon on Sunday, 22 October

The Independent UK · Oct 24, 2023

Watch live: Alaska Airlines pilot arraigned on 83 counts of attempted murder after trying to shut down plane engine

Watch live as an off-duty pilot is accused of trying to disable a jetliner appears in an Oregon court, where he faces 83 counts of attempted murder.

The Independent UK · Oct 24, 2023

FBI: 'I am not okay' off-duty Alaska pilot said before trying to turn off jet engines

New details from the off-duty pilot's interactions with the flight crew are contained in a federal affidavit charging him with interfering during Sunday's flight which diverted to Portland, Ore.

WEKU · Oct 24, 2023

Security scare on board a US airliner highlights the threat posed by aviation insiders

Aviation experts say the incident in which an off-duty pilot tried to disable a jetliner in midflight renews questions about the threat posed by insiders — airline workers who have special access to places where passengers can't go

The Independent UK · Oct 24, 2023

Off-duty pilot charged with trying to crash plane was on psychedelic mushrooms

The off-duty pilot ‘attempted to grab and pull two red fire handles that would have activated the plane’s emergency fire suppression system and cut off fuel to its engines,’ the US Attorney’s Office for Oregon wrote

The Independent UK · Oct 24, 2023

After a pilot tried to bring a plane down, what exactly are the rules and risks around jump seats on flights?

In some cases an off-duty pilot has assisted the captain and first officer to avert a disaster

The Independent UK · Oct 24, 2023