Ex-Alaska Airlines pilot accused of attempting to chop aircraft’s engines indicted on endangerment expenses

PORTLAND, Ore. — The former Alaska Airlines pilot accused of attempting to chop the engines of a Horizon Air flight has been indicted on 84 endangerment expenses, however is now not charged with tried homicide, authorities stated Tuesday.

The district lawyer’s workplace in Oregon’s Multnomah County, house to Portland, introduced the grand jury’s indictment. Joseph Emerson is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday on 83 expenses of recklessly endangering one other individual – for every one that was on the aircraft – and one cost of endangering an plane. He beforehand pleaded not responsible to tried homicide expenses filed by state prosecutors and to a federal cost of interfering with a flight crew.

In Oregon, preliminary felony expenses may be filed by prosecutors pending a grand jury’s indictment. Such indictments can embody completely different expenses, relying on what the grand jury believes is supported by the proof.

Emerson’s protection attorneys welcomed the grand jury’s resolution.

“The attempted murder charges were never appropriate in this case because Captain Emerson never intended to hurt another person or put anyone at risk – he just wanted to return home to his wife and children,” his protection attorneys Ethan Levi, Noah Horst and Norah Van Dusen stated in a press release. “Simply put: Captain Emerson thought he was in a dream.”

Prosecutors have accused Emerson of attempting to chop the engines on an Oct. 22 flight from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco whereas driving within the additional seat within the cockpit. After what the flight crew described as a short wrestle, Emerson left the cockpit, the FBI stated in an affidavit. Flight attendants positioned Emerson in wrist restraints and seated him within the rear of the plane, the affidavit stated.

The aircraft was diverted to Portland, the place it landed safely with greater than 80 individuals on board.

According to charging paperwork, Emerson instructed Port of Portland police following his arrest that he had been battling despair, {that a} good friend had not too long ago died and that he had taken psychedelic mushrooms about 48 hours earlier than he tried to chop the engines. He additionally stated he had not slept in additional than 40 hours, in response to the doc.

The averted catastrophe renewed consideration on cockpit security and the psychological health of these allowed in them.

Emerson stays in custody in Multnomah County.