The incident happened on an Alaska Airlines Embraer 175 aircraft.
DLNews News:
The suspect, off-duty pilot Joseph David Emerson, 44, was found seated in the cockpit of an Alaska Airlines flight from Everett, Washington State, to San Francisco. He was occupying the jumpseat, a folding seat reserved for crew members.
And then there was a fiasco: Apparently, the man had tried to switch off the engines! Great luck: the pilots on duty could overpower him and get him out of the cockpit.
One of the pilots told air traffic control: "We got the guy who tried to shut off the engines out of the cockpit. And it doesn't sound like he's causing problems in the back of the plane right now."
The pilot continued: "I think he is immobilized." He asked the police to be present "as soon as we are on the ground and parked."
After the incident, the plane was diverted to Portland (Oregon). The suspect was arrested there! According to police documents, the man is named Joseph David Emerson, 44. He is now charged with 83 counts of attempted murder.
Alaska Airlines said: "We are grateful for the crew's professional handling of the situation and appreciate the calm and patience of our guests during this event." All passengers on board could travel to San Francisco on a later flight.
The FBI is investigating and said it can "assure the traveling public that there is no ongoing threat associated with this incident."
Why was the off-duty pilot even in the cockpit?
Airlines allow their pilots and flight attendants to travel on planes with so-called standby tickets if a seat is available. Employees sometimes sit on a folding chair in the cockpit when the aircraft is entire, like suspect Emerson.
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Off-duty pilot Alaska Airlines
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