An Alaska Airlines Flight diverted to PDX on Sunday due to an off-duty pilot attempting to shut down the plane’s engines midflight, as confirmed by officials and a source to CBS News’ Kris Van Cleave. [1]
PDX Emergency Landing Details
The incident occurred on Alaska Airlines Flight 2059, operated by Horizon Air, according to a statement from Alaska Airlines. The flight was traveling from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco with 80 passengers and four crew members onboard.
The pilot, who was not on duty, was traveling in the flight deck jump seat. The cockpit jump seat, a third seat in the cockpit, is typically occupied by off-duty pilots, but it can also be used by other airline employees or federal safety inspectors.
The captain and first officer of Horizon detained Emerson and landed the plane just before 6:30 p.m.
An air traffic controller was informed by one of the pilots that the individual who posed a threat had been taken out of the cockpit.
According to the FBI, no injuries were reported.
Pilot Faces Charges
The airline expressed gratitude for the professional handling of the situation by the Horizon flight crew and acknowledged the patience of its guests throughout the event.
Officials confirmed that a suspect identified as Joseph Emerson was taken into custody by police and charged after the plane safely landed at the PDX airport in Oregon, according to CBS News.
Emerson, 44, is facing multiple charges, including 83 counts of attempted murder, according to online jail records from the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office.
The airline carrier has not provided any further information regarding the security threat. Law enforcement, including the FBI, is currently conducting an investigation.
All passengers were accommodated on an alternate flight.
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Source:
[1] Sundby, A. (2023, October 23). Alaska Airlines flight diverted, off-duty pilot Joseph Emerson arrested for trying to cut engines midflight, officials say. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alaska-airlines-flight-diverted-portland-oregon-jump-seat-shut-engines-down/
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