Joseph David Emerson, a former Alaska Airlines pilot, attempted to deactivate the engines of Flight 2059 while off duty and under the influence of psychedelic mushrooms. He will not be imprisoned for the incident.
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U.S. District Court Judge Amy Baggio ruled on Monday (17) that the pilot would receive credit for time already served and three years of supervised release.
Emerson was seated in the cockpit of a Horizon Air aircraft, a subsidiary of Alaska Airlines, when he endangered the lives of more than 80 people on board during a flight from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco.
He later told investigators that he had a nervous breakdown after ingesting psychedelic mushrooms and going 40 hours without sleep, according to court documents reviewed by PEOPLE at the time.
He was restrained by the crew and released from jail in December 2023 while awaiting trial.
In her decision, Baggio said that pilots were not “perfect.” “They are human. They are people, and all people need help sometimes,” she said in federal court in Portland.
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The pilot, in turn, said he was not a victim and that he was taking responsibility for “the direct result of his actions.” “I can say that this very tragic event has forced me to grow as an individual,” Emerson continued.
In addition, the Federal Aviation Administration revoked Emerson’s pilot and medical certificates. He was also terminated from Alaska Airlines and fined up to US$250,000.
He agreed to pay full restitution to the victims.
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