Off-Duty Pilot Who Tried To Shut Off Engines Mid-Flight Had A 'Mental Breakdown'
Can you imagine a pilot suffering a 'mental breakdown' mid-flight? It happened and how so.
What happened?
An off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot who attempted to shut down the engines of a packed-out flight with passengers, was arrested after the aircraft landed.
Where and when?
The incident happened on a flight from Washington to San Francisco on Sunday, when 44-year-old Joseph Emerson allegedly tried to hijack the plane. He was also?hit with a myriad of charges, including 83 counts of attempted murder.
Why?
Emerson had reportedly suffered a "breakdown" mid-flight at 35,000 feet in the air.
How?
Emerson, who was off-duty at the time, was sitting in the cockpit jump seat of the plane when he allegedly reached over for the controls and tried to activate the fire-suppression system on the air craft. This - if done successfully - would have caused the fuel to be cut off from the engines and eventually send the plane crashing to the ground.
Who stopped him from doing it?
The captain and first officer aboard the flight were able to restrain Joseph before making an emergency landing in Portland International Airport in Oregon. After the plane abruptly landed, the flight crew told the 83 onboard passengers why they were forced to land early.
Aubrey Gavello, a traveller on the plane, told ABC News: "The flight attendant got back on the speaker and said, plain and simple, 'He had a mental breakdown. We needed to get him off the plane immediately'."
Joseph is currently being held at the Multnomah County Detention Centre in Portland, Oregon where he is awaiting his arraignment.
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