© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

An off-duty pilot attempted to shut off the engines in flight, Alaska Airlines says

An Alaska Airlines Embraer 175 jet, similar to this one, was forced to make an unexpected landing Sunday night after an off-duty pilot who was riding in the cockpit allegedly attempted to disable the aircraft's engines.
Ted S. Warren
/
AP
An Alaska Airlines Embraer 175 jet, similar to this one, was forced to make an unexpected landing Sunday night after an off-duty pilot who was riding in the cockpit allegedly attempted to disable the aircraft's engines.

An Alaska Airlines flight was forced to make an unexpected landing Sunday night after an off-duty pilot who was riding in the cockpit allegedly attempted to disable the aircraft's engines.

"I'll just give you a heads-up. We've got the guy that tried to shut the engines down out of the cockpit," one of the pilots said to air traffic controllers in audio posted by LiveATC.net. "It doesn't seem like he's causing any issue at the back. I think he's subdued."

The flight, which was operated by Horizon Airlines, took off from Everett, Wash. around 5 pm Sunday evening. The Embraer 175 jet had to be diverted from San Francisco to Portland, Ore. where it landed safely.

In a statement, Alaska Airlines described the incident as "a credible security threat related to an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot who was traveling in the flight deck jump seat."

"The jump seat occupant unsuccessfully attempted to disrupt the operation of the engines," according to the statement, before "the crew secured the aircraft without incident. "

It's routine for off-duty pilots to catch a ride in the jump seat behind the pilot and first officer.

The off-duty pilot was arrested after the plane landed at Portland International Airport. Authorities there have identified him as Joseph David Emerson. He's now facing 83 counts of attempted murder, among other charges, including reckless endangerment and endangering an aircraft.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it is supporting law enforcement investigations into the incident.

"All passengers on board were able to travel on a later flight," Alaska Airlines said. "We are grateful for the professional handling of the situation by the Horizon flight crew and appreciate our guests' calm and patience throughout this event."

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Corrected: October 24, 2023 at 12:00 AM EDT
In an earlier version of this story, we incorrectly reported that flight attendants were permitted to occupy a jump seat in the flight deck.
Joel Rose is a correspondent on NPR's National Desk. He covers immigration and breaking news.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

Related Content