Off‑duty pilot pleads guilty after attempting to cut engines while on psychedelic mushrooms

A former Alaska Airlines pilot pleaded guilty or no contest to all state and federal charges Friday after attempting to disable the engines of a passenger jet in October 2023 while off duty and having taken psychedelic mushrooms, authorities and his attorney said.

The incident occurred on a Horizon Air flight carrying more than 80 people that departed from Paine Field in Everett, Washington, bound for San Francisco. Crew members restrained Joseph Emerson after he pulled cockpit handles that could have cut fuel to the engines, and the plane diverted to Portland, Oregon, where it landed safely, prosecutors said.

Emerson reached plea agreements with both state and federal prosecutors, his attorney Noah Horst told the Associated Press. According to Horst, the agreements were intended to allow Emerson to accept responsibility for his actions and avoid further jail time. Emerson also expressed regret for endangering passengers and harming his profession, the attorney said.

Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney Eric Pickard condemned Emerson's conduct, calling it "reckless, selfish, and criminal," and said prosecutors wanted the public to remember how narrowly the episode missed becoming far more dangerous. Prosecutors did not immediately detail the specific terms of the plea agreements or any sentencing recommendations filed as part of the deals.

Flight attendants and other members of the flight crew acted to restrain Emerson after he reached for cockpit controls that could have cut fuel flow, according to prior law enforcement accounts of the incident. Federal and state investigators subsequently opened criminal inquiries into the conduct, and Emerson's employment status with Alaska Airlines was affected; the carrier previously placed him on leave and later terminated his employment.

Public records and news reports indicate Emerson was off duty and occupying a cockpit jump seat when he attempted to manipulate the engine controls. Officials said he had taken psychedelic mushrooms before boarding; investigators and health experts note that psilocybin, the active compound in such mushrooms, can alter perception and impair judgment and coordination, which can affect a person's ability to safely perform complex tasks.

The episode prompted reviews of cockpit access rules and airline policies governing off‑duty crew members riding in jump seats. Investigations into the October 2023 incident involved both the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Department of Justice, reflecting concerns about potential threats to aviation safety when unauthorized or impaired individuals attempt to access operational controls.

Prosecutors said they will continue to pursue accountability while balancing considerations tied to the plea agreements. The case underscores intersections between public health issues related to substance use and aviation safety, and it has drawn attention from regulators, the airline industry and criminal authorities.

Authorities advised that passengers on the diverted flight were not physically injured, and no mechanical failure resulted from the attempted shutdown. The criminal proceedings and plea filings mark the latest legal developments in a case that raised questions about cockpit security, the conduct of off‑duty crew members and the potential risks posed by impairment from psychoactive substances while in or near aircraft operations.