Off-duty pilot on attempted murder charges after ‘trying to shut down’ engines of Alaska Airlines plane bound for San Francisco

An Alaska Airlines flight that was en route to San Francisco had to be rerouted to Portland, Oregon. This was due to an off-duty pilot, identified as 44-year-old Joseph David Emerson, who attempted to disable the aircraft's engines. Emerson was subsequently arrested and charged with 83 counts of attempted murder and endangering an aircraft. The arrest was made by the Port of Portland police. The aircraft, operated by Horizon Air on behalf of Alaska Airlines, was carrying 80 passengers. It was safely diverted to Portland after the crew reported a credible security threat. The Horizon pilot informed the FAA air traffic control about the situation, stating that the individual who tried to shut down the engines had been subdued and they requested law enforcement upon landing. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) informed airlines that the off-duty pilot had attempted to disable the engines of the Embraer 175 regional jet by activating the fire suppression system. However, the crew members were able to subdue him and remove him from the flight deck. The engines were not disabled. Upon landing, Port of Portland police officers met the flight and took Emerson into custody without any incident. The investigation into the incident is ongoing. According to an FAA pilot database, Emerson is a certified pilot who received a medical clearance last month. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Portland is also investigating the incident and has assured the public that there is no continuing threat related to this incident. The FAA has also informed airlines that this incident is not connected to any current world events and has reminded them to maintain vigilance. It is standard practice for off-duty pilots to occupy jump seats to return home or to a future flight assignment. Alaska Airlines confirmed that all passengers on board were able to travel on a later flight.