An off-duty pilot accused of trying to shut down engines mid-flight on an Alaska Airlines plane in October was indicted by a grand jury on 84 charges, prosecutors said.

An off-duty pilot accused of trying to shut down engines mid-flight on an Alaska Airlines plane in October was indicted on 84 charges – though the grand jury declined to go for attempted murder.

Joseph David Emerson, 44, was charged with one count of endangering aircraft in the first degree and 83 counts of recklessly endangering another person in connection with the Oct. 22 incident, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office said Tuesday.

He is being held at the Multnomah County Detention Center in Portland, Oregon, and is scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday.

  • @Lekip
    20•5 months ago

    Besides the shrooms and sleep deprivation; many pilots do not report depression or seek therapy out of fear of being grounded. This, obviously, can lead to severe mental health problems. Not sure if that was a factor in this case, however.