PORTLAND, Ore. — An off-duty pilot riding in the additional seat in the cockpit of a Horizon Air guest jet attempted to shut down the engines in midflight and had to be controlled by the team, a pilot flying the airplane informed air traffic controllers.
Authorities in Oregon recognized the male as Joseph David Emerson,44 He was being held Monday on 83 counts each of tried murder and negligent endangerment and one count of threatening an airplane, according to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office.
The San Francisco-bound flight on Sunday diverted to Portland, Oregon, where Emerson was taken into custody by officers from the Port of Portland. He is to be arraigned Tuesday.
Seattle-based Alaska Airlines, which owns Horizon, a local provider, did not name Emerson, however stated Monday that the danger was presented by one of its pilots who was off task however licensed to inhabit the cockpit dive seat.
The airlinecompany stated in a declaration that the captain and co-pilot “quickly reacted, engine power was not lost and the team protected the airplane without event.” Alaska stated no weapons were included.
One of the pilots informed air traffic controllers that the guy who presented the danger hadactually been gottenridof from the cockpit and was in handcuffs in the back of the airplane.
“We’ve got the guy that attempted to shut the engines down out of the cockpit. And he — doesn’t noise like he’s triggering any problem in the back right now, and I believe he’s controlled,” one of the pilots stated on audio caught by LiveATC.net. “Other than that, we desire law enforcement as quickly as we get on the ground and parked.”
Bailey Beck, who was on the flight, explained to SFGate the confusion and tension knowledgeable by travelers.
“It was truly strange duetothefactthat there was no overheard turmoil to alert the travelers. The guy strolled from the cockpit to the back of the aircraft by himself, where he was then handcuffed to a railing and didn’t make any disruption from the rear,” Beck informed the news outlet.
Sunday’s occurrence tookplace on a Horizon Air Embraer 175 bring 80 travelers, consistingof kids 2 or moreyouthful, and 4 crewmembers. The aircraft left Everett, Washington, at 5: 23 p.m. regional time and landed in Portland an hour lateron. Alaska stated travelers continued on to San Francisco on a lateron flight.
The FBI offic