Joseph Emerson was inside an Alaska Airlines cockpit last October when he raised his arms and pulled two large red levers that could have shut down both engines, at 30,000 feet. He calls the incident the worst 30 seconds of his life.
Friday, August 23, 2024 12:35PMAlaska AirlinesEmerson was inside an Alaska Airlines cockpit last October when he raised his arms and pulled two large red levers that could have shut down both engines, at 30,000 feet. He calls the incident the worst 30 seconds of his life.
Sarah knew little of what happened for 24 hours. It wasn't until a jail receptionist told her that she learned her husband had been charged with 83 counts of attempted murder - one count for every soul on the aircraft. Emerson said the feeling increased - and with it, a belief that " this isn't real, I'm not actually going home ... until I became completely convinced that none of this was real," Emerson said.
"It was really the pilot's physical touch on my hand," Emerson said. "Both pilots grabbed my hands where I kind of stopped and I had that moment, which I'll just say I view this moment as a gift." Emerson said he walked into the cabin, drank directly from a coffee pot and took a seat in the flight attendants' jump seat. None of the passengers knew that the man in a pilot's uniform had only moments earlier tried to turn off their plane's engines.Emerson's feeling of unreality persisted, he said, and he again felt the need to wake up.
"I essentially asked to be restrained myself because I knew if this is real, I've already done enough damage," Emerson said. "I thought, 'Let's restrain me till I can get the help I need.' That's really kind of what I was hoping coming off this airplane that I would get, get the help I needed." "I said, 'What does that mean?' It's just so not the world that I live in, you know. I just didn't even understand what that meant," Sarah Emerson recalled.Emerson spent the next 45 days in jail before he was granted bond. It wasn't until Tuesday evening, four days after taking the mushrooms, that Emerson said he regained full clarity.
Joe and Sarah Emerson are now dedicating much of their life to building their new nonprofit: Clear Skies Ahead. Their goal is to raise funds for and awareness of pilot mental health, and to emphasize the importance of not being afraid to seek help.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Former Alaska Airlines pilot who tried to shut down engines in-flight shares his storyJoseph Emerson was inside an Alaska Airlines cockpit last October when he raised arms and pulled two large red levers that could have shut down both engines, at 30,000 feet. He calls the incident the worst 30 seconds of his life.
Read more »
Former Alaska Airlines pilot who tried to shut down engines in-flight shares his story'I accept responsibility for the choices that I made,' Emerson told ABC News.
Read more »
Alaska Airlines clears a big hurdle in its proposed merger with Hawaiian AirlinesAlaska Airlines is one step closer to acquiring Hawaiian Airlines after the DOJ chose not to challenge the $1 billion deal.
Read more »
Alaska Airlines Moves Closer to Acquiring Hawaiian AirlinesThe U.S. Department of Justice will not challenge the $1 billion merger deal between Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines.
Read more »
Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines merger clears regulatory hurdle, will now be reviewed by DOTAlaska Airlines announced Monday that its merger with Hawaiian Airlines cleared a major hurdle after the DOJ's time period to complete its investigation expired.
Read more »
Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines merger clears Justice Department hurdle, now faces DOTThe Justice Department didn't file a suit seeking to block the tie-up between Alaska and Hawaiian, but still have to face the DOT.
Read more »