A former Alaska Airlines pilot who attempted to shut off the engines of a passenger jet while it was in the air will not go to prison as part of a plea agreement, stating in court that the experience forced him to grow as a person.
Joseph Emerson was off-duty and hitching a ride in the cockpit in an empty seat in October 2023. Emerson had taken psychedelic mushrooms a few days earlier and during the flight attempted to shut down the engines, the Associated Press reported.
U.S. District Court Judge Amy Baggio sentenced Emerson to time served and three years' supervised release. "Pilots are not perfect. They are human," Baggio said. "They are people and all people need help sometimes," Baggio said in issuing the sentence, according to the AP.
Emerson was subdued by the Horizon Flight crew and prevented from cutting the engines as the plane flew Everett, Washington, to San Francisco, the AP reported.
Emerson later told investigators that after ingesting the psychedelic mushrooms, he had a nervous breakdown, PEOPLE reported. When he boarded the flight, he had not slept in 40 hours.
Emerson spent 46 days in jail and was released in December 2023, while charges were pending, PEOPLE reported.
"I'm not a victim. I am here as a direct result of my actions," Emerson told the court, according to the AP. "I can tell you that this very tragic event has forced me to grow as an individual."
The Federal Aviation Administration has revoked Emerson's pilot and medical certificates. PEOPLE reported that he was let go by Alaska Airlines and also fined up to $250,000.
"I am so sorry for those that it's impacted as much as it has. But I am extremely proud to be here with this man today, because the growth that he has had from this terrible experience has not only helped him, but benefited all that surround him," said Emerson's wife, Sarah Stretch, according to the AP.
