The off-duty pilot who tried shutting down a plane’s engines mid-air had eaten magic mushrooms and thought he was having a nervous breakdown as per the court documents. Joseph Emerson was onboard Horizon Air, who was charged with 83 counts of attempted murder in Oregon after he tried reaching for handles that could have starved the engines of fuel and turned the plane into a glider.
"I pulled both emergency shutoff handles because I thought I was dreaming and I just want to wake up," Emerson told police, according to a criminal complaint, as per an AFP report.
The investigating officer also talked to Emerson about taking psychedelic mushrooms and Emerson said it was his first time consuming them.
The incident occurred on Sunday when the Horizon Air Embraer E-175 was flying from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco, as per a statement by parent company Alaska Airlines, reported AFP.
The flight, carrying 80 passengers, was diverted to Portland, Oregon, where it landed safely and the 44-year-old was arrested.
A short way into the journey, Emerson had tried to grab and pull two red fire handles that would have activated the plane's emergency fire suppression system and cut off fuel to its engines," the Department of Justice said.
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"After a brief physical struggle with the pilots, Emerson exited the cockpit."
On Monday, Alaska Airline — Horizon Air’s parent company — said that its pilots had reacted quickly to reverse the handles, and the aircraft landed safely.
"Flight attendants placed Emerson in wrist restraints and seated him in the rear of the aircraft," the Department of Justice said.
"During the flight's descent, Emerson tried to grab the handle of an emergency exit. A flight attendant stopped him by placing her hands on top of his."
As per the report, Emerson pleaded not guilty to the charges against him — 83 counts of attempted murder, 83 counts of reckless endangerment and one count of endangering an aircraft.