SEATTLE- On October 22, 2023, off-duty Alaska Airlines (AS) pilot Joseph Emerson disrupted Horizon Air (QX) Flight 2059 from Paine Field (PAE) in Everett to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) by attempting to shut down engines while experiencing lingering effects from psilocybin mushrooms taken 48 hours earlier.
The Embraer E175LR aircraft, carrying 83 passengers and crew, diverted to Portland International Airport (PDX) after the crew restrained him.
Emerson, grieving his best friend Scott Pinney’s 2018 death from a sudden cardiac incident, had attended a 2023 memorial gathering where he first tried mushrooms after turning to alcohol, compounded by 40 hours of sleep deprivation leading to a dissociative state.
The incident, captured in December 2025 released cockpit audio, highlights aviation mental health issues and Emerson’s advocacy for better support.
Alaska Airlines Pilot Tried to Shut Down Engines
The cockpit voice recorder audio, publicly released in December 2025, unveils the harrowing sequence aboard Horizon Air (QX) Flight 2059.
Because all passenger seats to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) were fully booked, Emerson used non-revenue travel benefits to occupy the jumpseat while en route to his next duty assignment.
While seated in the jumpseat, Emerson repeatedly stated, “I’m not OK,” prompting a pilot to ask, “You’re OK?” Emerson again stated, “I’m not OK,” said he wanted to go home, and then suddenly pulled both engine fire suppression handles, designed solely for fire emergencies, in an apparent attempt to cut fuel flow at an altitude of approximately 31,000 feet.
A brief struggle ensued, lasting mere seconds but described by Emerson as the “most consequential 3 seconds of my life,” with audio capturing profanity and a pilot exclaiming, “Dude, what’s going on?!” The crew swiftly subdued him, removing Emerson from the cockpit.
One pilot radioed air traffic control: “Horizon, we need to make an emergency landing. A jumpseat passenger has just attempted to shut down the aircraft’s engines. We need to go direct to Portland, now.”
Post-removal, Emerson moved to the aircraft’s rear, told a flight attendant to cuff him or “it would be bad,” confessed “I messed everything up” and “tried to kill everybody,” and attempted to grab an emergency exit handle during descent.
Legal Ramifications and Sentencing Details
Prosecutors initially proposed 83 counts of attempted murder for the 83 passengers and crew aboard, but a grand jury indicted Emerson on 83 counts of recklessly endangering another person and one count of endangering an aircraft, citing lack of murderous intent.
After authorities held him on remand for 46 days, the court released him on a $50,000 bond in December 2023, subject to conditions including mental health treatment and abstention from drugs and alcohol.
By September 2025, Emerson pleaded no contest to the state charges, receiving time served (credited as 50 days), 664 hours of community service, 5 years of probation, and a ban from being within 25 feet of an operable airplane.
Federally, he pleaded guilty to one count of interference with flight crew members and attendants and faced a potential 20 year sentence and a $200,000 fine, but the court sentenced him in November 2025 to time served and three years of supervised release.
He paid $60,000 in restitution to Alaska Air Group for diversion costs.
Personal Backstory and Mental Health Advocacy
Emerson later told investigators that he was experiencing a dissociative state, believed he was trapped in a dream, and thought that pulling the handles would “wake him up,” and that he did not intend to crash the aircraft or cause harm to any person.
His actions stemmed from ongoing grief over Scott Pinney’s death, exacerbated by his first psilocybin experience 48 hours prior, causing hallucinogen persisting perception disorder, and severe sleep deprivation of over 40 hours.
According to PYOK, Emerson has since focused on recovery, attending daily meetings and working toward becoming a substance abuse counselor.
Banned from flying, Emerson and his wife founded the non-profit Clear Skies Ahead to enhance mental health resources for pilots.
The event underscores the dangers of untreated mental health struggles in aviation, emphasizing the need to seek help promptly to protect lives.
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