Off-duty pilot who tried to cut engines tried mushrooms as mental health worsened, complaint says
New court documents say an off-duty airline pilot who tried to cut the engines on a flight in mid-air told police he had recently taken psychedelic mushrooms as his mental health worsened PORTLAND, Ore. -- An off-duty airline pilot riding in an extra cockpit seat on a Horizon Air flight said “I’m not OK” just before trying to cut the engines midflight and later told police he had recently taken psychedelic mushrooms as his mental health worsened, according to charging documents made public Tuesday. State prosecutors in Oregon filed 83 counts of attempted murder against Alaska Airlines pilot Joseph David Emerson, 44, on Tuesday just before he appeared in court, with his attorney, Noah Horst, entering not guilty pleas on his behalf. Federal prosecutors meanwhile charged Emerson with interfering with a flight crew, which can carry up to 20 years in prison. According to a probable cause statement filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court, Emerson told Port of Portland police following his ar...
