Off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot pleads guilty after attempting to disable engines while on psychedelic mushrooms

A former Alaska Airlines pilot who attempted to shut down the engines of a passenger jet while off duty and riding in the cockpit pleaded guilty or no contest Friday, court filings and his attorney said.

Joseph Emerson reached plea agreements with state and federal prosecutors to resolve all charges arising from the October 2023 incident in which he pulled cockpit handles that could have cut fuel to the engines of a Horizon Air flight carrying more than 80 people. The flight, which was en route from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco, diverted to Portland, Oregon, after crew members restrained Emerson and secured the aircraft. The plane landed safely.

Emerson told investigators he had ingested psychedelic mushrooms before boarding the plane, according to summaries of the case. His attorney, Noah Horst, said the plea agreements were intended to allow his client to take accountability while avoiding additional jail time.

"What Joseph Emerson did was reckless, selfish, and criminal," Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney Eric Pickard said Friday. The prosecutor said the episode could easily have produced a far more serious outcome.

Prosecutors accused Emerson of intentionally manipulating controls that, if fully actuated, could have cut fuel to the aircraft's engines. Flight crew members intervened and restrained him, and the jet was flown to a safe landing at Portland International Airport, where local authorities took Emerson into custody.

Court documents provided limited detail about the exact charges to which Emerson pleaded guilty or no contest but said state and federal authorities coordinated their response. The Associated Press reported the plea deals Friday and cited Emerson's attorney in describing the agreements.

Emerson is a licensed pilot; airline and federal regulations prohibit operating or occupying flight decks while impaired. Investigators and prosecutors said the case raised urgent safety questions about cockpit access and the risks posed by crew or others who may be intoxicated or under the influence of psychoactive substances.

The incident drew attention amid broader public discussion about the medical and legal status of psychedelic substances such as psilocybin, the active compound in so-called "magic mushrooms." While research into therapeutic uses of psilocybin has expanded in recent years, recreational use remains illegal in many jurisdictions and can produce altered perception and impaired judgment that authorities say can jeopardize safety-sensitive environments.

Emerson expressed regret for endangering passengers and harming his profession, Horst said. The plea agreements are expected to resolve the criminal case without additional prison time, though the terms may include probation, fines, counseling or other conditions typically imposed in plea deals of this nature.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the airline industry maintain strict fitness-for-duty rules for pilots. Airline officials and federal investigators have continued to review operational policies and training practices following the October 2023 event to reinforce protocols for cockpit security and the handling of off-duty personnel who are present in flight decks.

The case remains subject to court approval of the plea agreements and any accompanying terms; sentencing and other procedural dates were not immediately available in public filings.