By Rajesh Kumar Singh
CHICAGO (Reuters) -A U.S. judge ruled on Monday that a former Alaska Airlines pilot who tried to disable the engines of a passenger jet mid-flight while riding off-duty in the cockpit will not serve additional prison time.
Joseph David Emerson, 46, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Amy Baggio in Portland, Oregon, to time served and three years of supervised release.
Federal prosecutors had sought a one-year prison term, while Emerson’s attorneys argued for probation, citing penalties already imposed by the state court.
The incident occurred on Oct. 22, 2023, aboard Horizon Air Flight 2059, an Embraer 175 operated for Alaska Airlines flying from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco.
Federal prosecutors said Emerson, who was seated in the cockpit jump seat, reached up to grab two red fire suppression handles and began pulling them down, which would have cut fuel to the plane’s engines, according to court documents.
The on-duty pilots successfully restrained him, and the plane diverted to Portland, landing safely with 84 people on board.
According to the court documents, Emerson told police he had not slept for approximately 48 hours, had taken psychedelic mushrooms two days earlier, and believed he was dreaming and trying to wake himself up. He also said he was grieving a friend’s death and experiencing a mental health crisis.
In September, Emerson pleaded guilty to a federal charge of interfering with a flight crew and no contest to state charges of endangering an aircraft and 83 counts of reckless endangerment, according to court records and prosecutors.
Ahead of Monday’s sentencing, a lawyer for Emerson plead with the court last week that he had spent 46 days in pretrial incarceration. “Mr. Emerson’s 46 days in jail was impactful, cathartic, and punishing,” the lawyer argued. “He will never
be able to expunge this conviction.”
A state court also sentenced him to five years probation, 664 hours of community service, and about $60,000 in restitution, mostly to Alaska Air Group.
The case has intensified scrutiny of cockpit access rules and sparked renewed calls for stronger mental health support for pilots.
To address these concerns, the Federal Aviation Administration’s mental health panel issued 24 recommendations last year, including non-punitive disclosure pathways, revised reporting requirements, and improved return-to-work processes.
In September 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation requiring the FAA to adopt those measures and overhaul its medical certification rules.
(Reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
