A former Alaska Airlines pilot accused of trying to shut down the engines of a Horizon Air passenger flight in 2023 is scheduled to enter guilty and no-contest pleas Friday in federal and state courts, according to prosecutors and his attorney.
Joseph Emerson, of Pleasant Hill, California, reached agreements with prosecutors after initially pleading not guilty to all charges.
His attorney, Noah Horst, said Emerson wants to take responsibility for his actions and hopes the agreements will prevent him from serving more time in prison.
The incident happened on Oct. 22, 2023, on a Horizon Air flight from Everett to San Francisco.
Emerson, who was off-duty at the time, was riding in an extra seat in the cockpit when he pulled two handles that would have activated the plane’s fire suppression system and cut off fuel to its engines.
The flight crew subdued him, and the plane diverted safely to Portland with more than 80 people on board.
Court records show Emerson told police afterward that he had not slept in more than 40 hours, had taken psychedelic mushrooms two days earlier, and believed he was dreaming during the flight.
He said he pulled the handles in an effort to wake himself up.
Federal prosecutors charged him with interfering with a flight crew.
In Oregon state court, he was indicted on 83 counts of endangering another person — one for each person on the flight — and one count of endangering an aircraft.
He was released from custody in December 2023 while awaiting trial.
Conditions of his release included undergoing mental health treatment, avoiding drugs and alcohol, and staying away from aircraft.
Under the federal plea agreement, Emerson is expected to plead guilty to the interference charge.
Prosecutors will recommend up to a year in prison, while defense attorneys will argue for no additional time.
In state court, he is expected to plead no contest, which has the same legal effect as a guilty plea.
The agreement calls for five years of probation, 664 hours of community service — eight hours for each person endangered — and $60,569 in restitution, most of it payable to Alaska Air Group, Horst said.
Half of his community service can be completed through a pilot health nonprofit Emerson founded after his arrest.
He must also undergo drug, alcohol, and mental health assessments, refrain from using non-prescribed drugs, and stay at least 25 feet away from operable aircraft unless approved by a probation officer.
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