Off-duty pilot's 'magic mushroom' episode makes a bizarre mid-flight incident!
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From expensive tickets to long flight times, it’s understandable why some dread getting on a plane.
What makes the experience even more nerve-wracking is the thought that something might go wrong during a flight.
And if you've ever wondered about the strange occurrences that can happen at 30,000 feet, we've got a truly bizarre one for you today.
An off-duty pilot allegedly attempted to disable the plane's engines while under the influence of ‘magic mushrooms’.
The incident occurred on an Alaska Airlines flight, where 44-year-old Joseph D. Emerson attempted to turn off the plane’s engines en route from Washington to San Francisco.
According to the airline’s statement, after the plane took off from Everett, Washington, Alaska Airlines Flight 2059 reported a ‘security threat to an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot, identified as Emerson, who was travelling in the flight deck jump seat’.
In an affidavit filed by prosecutors, Emerson claimed that he ‘had consumed "magic mushrooms" approximately 48 hours before the incident on the plane’. It was also said that Emerson had been awake for the last 40 hours.
‘The officer and Emerson talked about the use of psychedelic mushrooms, and Emerson said it was his first time taking mushrooms,’ the affidavit said.
Emerson detailed that he was dreaming and assumed that pulling the fire extinguishing system's handles, which would cut fuel to the plane's engines, would ‘wake him up’ from his dream-like state.
Emerson was seated in the cockpit in a jump seat, a privilege granted to off-duty pilots. According to the affidavit supplied by the airline, Emerson engaged in casual chit-chat with his co-pilots at the start of the flight. The confrontation began when he reached for the fire control handles, being heard saying ‘I’m not OK’ just moments before.
One of the pilots ‘grabbed Emerson’s wrists and (the other pilot) reported that they wrestled with Emerson for a few seconds before Emerson stopped and said he was OK,’ according to the court documents.
The airline explained that ‘The fire suppression system consists of a T-handle for each engine; when pulled, a valve in the wing closes to shut off fuel to the engine. After they are pulled, some residual fuel remains in the line.’
‘Another flight attendant observed Emerson make statements such as, “I messed everything up” and that “he tried to kill everybody”. Emerson was heard saying he had just put 84 peoples’ lives at risk… including his own,” the airline added.
The documents said that ‘Emerson was not able to pull the handles all the way down before the pilots intervened.’
Emerson was experiencing depression and the recent death of a friend, the documents stated. He was also having nervous breakdowns, and he needed to be subdued.
While in custody, Emerson admitted to what he did and said, ‘I’m not fighting any charges you want to bring against me, guys.’
It's worth noting according to Professor Matt Johnson of Johns Hopkins University, who foscuses his research on psychedelics, that it's highly unlikely for psilocybin, also called ‘magic mushrooms,’ to remain in one's system after 48 hours.
However, the residual effects of the drug, coupled with Emerson's sleep deprivation and underlying depression, might have created a ‘perfect storm’ of erratic behaviour and detachment from reality.
Professor Johnson added that the effects of ‘magic mushrooms’ can be compared to the lingering impact of alcohol consumption. While the person may no longer be intoxicated, the hangover caused by alcohol can affect their behaviour and cognitive abilities.
The combination of psilocybin's effects, pre-existing depression, and sleep deprivation could have led to derealisation—a sense of detachment from one's surroundings and even ‘psychotic-like behaviour’. Such behavioural changes are more likely in individuals with existing psychiatric conditions.
Due to his actions, Emerson now faces numerous legal charges, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. These charges include interfering with a flight crew, 83 counts of attempted murder, 83 counts of reckless endangerment, and one count of endangering an aircraft. Emerson pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Two passengers on the flight said that the airline crew maintained a calm environment when the incident happened.
Aubrey Gavello, one of the passengers, said, ‘We didn’t know where we were landing, and we didn’t know what was wrong. But (the flight attendant) assured us we were safe.’
Alex Wood said he slept and was wearing headphones during the incident.
He said, ‘I was right by the cockpit, but nothing woke me up. Nothing was loud enough, nothing was rambunctious enough to wake me up.’
Emerson’s neighbour, Ed Yee, said it was ‘very shocking’ to hear Emerson’s actions.
‘He seems like a nice guy. Nothing abnormal about him,’ he claimed.
Emerson’s last FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) medical examination was just in October. He was able to obtain a first-class medical certificate, the highest-level medical certificate awarded by the agency. This requires examinations every six months for pilots 40 years old and over.
In its statement, Alaska Airlines said he worked in aviation for around two decades.
‘Throughout his career, Emerson completed his mandated FAA medical certifications in accordance with regulatory requirements, and at no point were his certifications denied, suspended or revoked,’ it said.
In a previous story, a pilot explained that aeroplanes are still considered the safest transportation. Read more about the story here.
We put together a list of mental health hotlines, and we highly suggest you save this page for future reference. You can find the full list here.
If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help now, call triple zero (000). You can also call Lifeline on 13 11 14—24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
What do you think of the story? Let us know in the comments below.
What makes the experience even more nerve-wracking is the thought that something might go wrong during a flight.
And if you've ever wondered about the strange occurrences that can happen at 30,000 feet, we've got a truly bizarre one for you today.
An off-duty pilot allegedly attempted to disable the plane's engines while under the influence of ‘magic mushrooms’.
The incident occurred on an Alaska Airlines flight, where 44-year-old Joseph D. Emerson attempted to turn off the plane’s engines en route from Washington to San Francisco.
According to the airline’s statement, after the plane took off from Everett, Washington, Alaska Airlines Flight 2059 reported a ‘security threat to an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot, identified as Emerson, who was travelling in the flight deck jump seat’.
Emerson tried to pull the fire extinguishing system’s handles mid-flight to ‘wake up’ from his dream. Credit: Unsplash
In an affidavit filed by prosecutors, Emerson claimed that he ‘had consumed "magic mushrooms" approximately 48 hours before the incident on the plane’. It was also said that Emerson had been awake for the last 40 hours.
‘The officer and Emerson talked about the use of psychedelic mushrooms, and Emerson said it was his first time taking mushrooms,’ the affidavit said.
Emerson detailed that he was dreaming and assumed that pulling the fire extinguishing system's handles, which would cut fuel to the plane's engines, would ‘wake him up’ from his dream-like state.
Emerson was seated in the cockpit in a jump seat, a privilege granted to off-duty pilots. According to the affidavit supplied by the airline, Emerson engaged in casual chit-chat with his co-pilots at the start of the flight. The confrontation began when he reached for the fire control handles, being heard saying ‘I’m not OK’ just moments before.
One of the pilots ‘grabbed Emerson’s wrists and (the other pilot) reported that they wrestled with Emerson for a few seconds before Emerson stopped and said he was OK,’ according to the court documents.
The airline explained that ‘The fire suppression system consists of a T-handle for each engine; when pulled, a valve in the wing closes to shut off fuel to the engine. After they are pulled, some residual fuel remains in the line.’
‘Another flight attendant observed Emerson make statements such as, “I messed everything up” and that “he tried to kill everybody”. Emerson was heard saying he had just put 84 peoples’ lives at risk… including his own,” the airline added.
The documents said that ‘Emerson was not able to pull the handles all the way down before the pilots intervened.’
Emerson was experiencing depression and the recent death of a friend, the documents stated. He was also having nervous breakdowns, and he needed to be subdued.
While in custody, Emerson admitted to what he did and said, ‘I’m not fighting any charges you want to bring against me, guys.’
It's worth noting according to Professor Matt Johnson of Johns Hopkins University, who foscuses his research on psychedelics, that it's highly unlikely for psilocybin, also called ‘magic mushrooms,’ to remain in one's system after 48 hours.
However, the residual effects of the drug, coupled with Emerson's sleep deprivation and underlying depression, might have created a ‘perfect storm’ of erratic behaviour and detachment from reality.
Professor Johnson added that the effects of ‘magic mushrooms’ can be compared to the lingering impact of alcohol consumption. While the person may no longer be intoxicated, the hangover caused by alcohol can affect their behaviour and cognitive abilities.
The combination of psilocybin's effects, pre-existing depression, and sleep deprivation could have led to derealisation—a sense of detachment from one's surroundings and even ‘psychotic-like behaviour’. Such behavioural changes are more likely in individuals with existing psychiatric conditions.
Due to his actions, Emerson now faces numerous legal charges, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. These charges include interfering with a flight crew, 83 counts of attempted murder, 83 counts of reckless endangerment, and one count of endangering an aircraft. Emerson pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Two passengers on the flight said that the airline crew maintained a calm environment when the incident happened.
Aubrey Gavello, one of the passengers, said, ‘We didn’t know where we were landing, and we didn’t know what was wrong. But (the flight attendant) assured us we were safe.’
Alex Wood said he slept and was wearing headphones during the incident.
He said, ‘I was right by the cockpit, but nothing woke me up. Nothing was loud enough, nothing was rambunctious enough to wake me up.’
Emerson’s neighbour, Ed Yee, said it was ‘very shocking’ to hear Emerson’s actions.
‘He seems like a nice guy. Nothing abnormal about him,’ he claimed.
Emerson’s last FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) medical examination was just in October. He was able to obtain a first-class medical certificate, the highest-level medical certificate awarded by the agency. This requires examinations every six months for pilots 40 years old and over.
In its statement, Alaska Airlines said he worked in aviation for around two decades.
‘Throughout his career, Emerson completed his mandated FAA medical certifications in accordance with regulatory requirements, and at no point were his certifications denied, suspended or revoked,’ it said.
In a previous story, a pilot explained that aeroplanes are still considered the safest transportation. Read more about the story here.
We put together a list of mental health hotlines, and we highly suggest you save this page for future reference. You can find the full list here.
If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help now, call triple zero (000). You can also call Lifeline on 13 11 14—24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
What do you think of the story? Let us know in the comments below.
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