Off-duty pilot charged with 83 counts of attempted murder for allegedly trying to shut off engines on Alaska Airlines flight - ABC News

Joseph David Emerson was taken into custody, the Port of Portland confirmed.

October 23, 2023, 12:29 PM

An off-duty pilot is charged with 83 counts of attempted murder after he allegedly tried to shut off the engines by pulling the fire extinguisher handles on an Alaska Airlines flight, according to officials.

The plane was scheduled to fly from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco before it diverted late Sunday to Portland after a "credible security threat related to an authorized occupant in the flight deck jump seat," the airline confirmed to ABC News.

The suspect allegedly tried to pull the fire extinguisher handles on the engines, preliminary information obtained by investigators indicated, according to a federal official briefed on the probe. The suspect was overwhelmed by flight crew and subdued and then handcuffed to a seat, the federal official told ABC News.

The suspect, Joseph David Emerson, was taken into custody, the Port of Portland confirmed. Emerson is charged with 83 counts of attempted murder, according to the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office. He is also facing 83 counts of reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor, and one felony count of endangering an aircraft.

PHOTO: An Alaska Airlines plane takes off from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in San Francisco, June 21, 2023. — An Alaska Airlines plane takes off from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in San Francisco, June 21, 2023.

Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

The suspect was en route to San Francisco, where he was scheduled to be on a flight crew of a 737, the official said.

Alaska Airlines said the off-duty pilot was sitting in the flight deck jump seat -- which is in the cockpit -- and "unsuccessfully attempted to disrupt the operation of the engines."

The captain and first officer "quickly responded," Alaska said, adding engine power was not lost and the crew secured the aircraft without incident.

There were 80 passengers and four crew members on the flight, according to Alaska.

The event is being investigated by law enforcement, the airline said. The FBI confirmed it is looking into the incident and "can assure the traveling public there is no continuing threat related to this incident."

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.