An off-duty Alaska Airways pilot who tried to close off the engines throughout a flight on Sunday advised investigators that he thought he was having a nervous breakdown on the time and had consumed psychedelic mushrooms, courtroom paperwork Stated.

In an interview with the police after he was taken into custody, the pilot, Joseph D. Emerson, 44, stated he had not slept in 40 hours and had been depressed for about six months, in response to a federal prison grievance.

The officer and Mr. Emerson “talked about the usage of psychedelic mushrooms, and Emerson stated it was his first time taking mushrooms,” the prison grievance states.

“I pulled each emergency shut off handles as a result of I assumed I used to be dreaming and I simply wanna get up,” Mr. Emerson advised the police, in response to the prison grievance.

The U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace for the District of Oregon stated on Tuesday that Mr. Emerson had been charged in federal courtroom with one rely of interfering with flight crew members and attendants.

Mr. Emerson has additionally been charged in Multnomah County Circuit Courtroom in Portland, Ore., with 83 counts of tried homicide, 83 counts of reckless endangerment and one rely of endangering an plane, courtroom information present. He’s to be arraigned on these prices on Tuesday afternoon.

It was not instantly clear if Mr. Emerson had a lawyer.

Mr. Emerson, of Nice Hill, Calif., has been a primary officer after which a captain for greater than 20 years. All through his profession, he has accomplished his required Federal Aviation Administration medical certifications, and his certifications have been by no means denied, suspended or revoked, Alaska Airways stated. Multnomah County courtroom information point out he doesn’t have a prison report.

On Sunday, Mr. Emerson was using in a leap seat within the cockpit of an Alaska Airways jet, an Embraer 175, the authorities stated. The flight, operated by Horizon Air, a regional subsidiary, left Everett, Wash., about 5:23 p.m. certain for San Francisco, with 4 crew members and 80 passengers onboard. Skilled pilots say it’s common for them to journey within the cockpit leap seat whereas shuttling to and from work.

When the aircraft was about midway between Astoria, Ore., and Portland, Mr. Emerson stated, “I’m not OK,” and tried to seize two crimson handles that minimize off gasoline to the engines, the prison grievance states.

After a quick bodily wrestle with the pilots, Mr. Emerson left the cockpit. Alaska Airways stated in an announcement on Monday that, as a result of “some residual gasoline” remained within the line, “the fast response of our crew to reset the handles restored gasoline stream and prevented gasoline hunger.”

If Mr. Emerson had efficiently pulled the engine shut-off handles down all the way in which, “then it might have shut down the hydraulics and the gasoline to the engines, turning the plane right into a glider inside seconds,” the grievance states.

Whereas strolling to the again of the aircraft after he left the cockpit, Mr. Emerson stated to a flight attendant, “You could cuff me proper now or it’s going to be unhealthy,” in response to the grievance. After Mr. Emerson was restrained at the back of the aircraft, he tried to seize the deal with of an emergency exit door, however was stopped by a flight attendant, federal prosecutors stated.

One other flight attendant heard Mr. Emerson “make statements akin to, ‘I messed every thing up’ and that ‘he tried to kill everyone,’” the grievance states.

Performing in response to F.A.A. procedures and steering from air site visitors controllers, the crew diverted the aircraft to Portland Worldwide Airport, the place it landed safely at about 6:30 p.m.

After Mr. Emerson was escorted off the aircraft, a passenger, Aubrey Gavello, advised ABC Information: “The flight attendant received again on the speaker and stated, plain and easy: ‘He had a psychological breakdown. We wanted to get him off the aircraft instantly.’”

In his interview with the police after his arrest, Mr. Emerson stated: “I didn’t really feel OK. It appeared just like the pilots weren’t listening to what was occurring,” the grievance states.

Mr. Emerson joined Horizon Airways as a primary officer in August 2001, Alaska Airways stated. In June 2012, he joined Virgin America as a pilot. When Alaska Airways acquired Virgin in 2016, Mr. Emerson rejoined the corporate as a primary officer for Alaska Airways. In 2019, he turned a captain, the corporate stated.