Portland, OR- Joseph David Emerson, a former Alaska Airlines pilot was convicted today on 83 counts of Reckless Endangering Another Person in Multnomah County Circuit Court as well as Endangering Aircraft in the First Degree, which is a felony.
The charges come from an incident on October 22, 2023 when Emerson, an off duty pilot sitting in a ‘jump seat’ just behind the two pilots, pulled down both emergency fire suppression handles in mid flight. The Horizon airlines jet was over Oregon at the time and made an emergency landing in Portland. Pulling down the handles, according to the pilot flying the plane, would shut off the fuel supply forcing the aircraft to glide.
Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Cheryl Albrecht sentenced 46-year old Emerson to 50 days in jail, with credit for time served; 664 hours of community service, 8 hours for each life he endangered; and five years probation.
Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney ic.pickard@mcda.us” style=”text-decoration-line: none;”>Eric Pickard prosecuted the case for the state.
After the conviction and sentencing he said:
“What Joseph Emerson did was reckless, selfish, and criminal. We should remember how close he came to ruining the lives of not just the 84 people aboard Flight 2059, but all of their family members and friends as well. Joseph Emerson is now a convicted felon, has 83 convictions for recklessly endangering, and will be on formal probation for 60 months. Additionally, he has been ordered to perform 664 hours of community service and sentenced to 50 days jail with CTS. With this sentence, we aim to hold Joseph Emerson accountable for his choices, his conduct, and his betrayal to his duty as a pilot.
Airline pilots have tremendous responsibility. When something goes wrong at 30,000 feet, you better hope you have a competent, composed, and courageous flight crew to handle it. Fortunately for the passengers of Flight 2059, Capt. Emil Riemer and First Officer Alan Koizol were manning the flightdeck. And when Joseph Emerson, who was deadheading in the cockpit jump seat, suddenly attempted to activate the fire suppression handles and stop fuel from getting to the engines, the pilots jumped to action to stop him. Their swift reaction prevented what could have been a horrendous tragedy and they saved the lives of 84 people, including 11 children. The State of Oregon is grateful for Capt. Riemer and First Ofc. Koizol’s heroism.”
