Off-duty pilot allegedly took mushrooms, hadn't slept for 40 hours before trying to cut jet's engines
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 mid-flight, and later told police he had been struggling with depression, according to charging documents made public Tuesday.
![Off-duty pilot allegedly took mushrooms, hadn't slept for 40 hours before trying to cut jet's engines](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7007259.1698239271!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/horizon-air-cockpit-emergency.jpg)
![Joseph David Emerson, left, 44, was arraigned in Multnomah County Circuit Court on Tues., Oct. 24, 2023, in Portalnd, Ore. Emerson, a pilot, is accused of attempting to disable the engines of a plane on which he was riding while off-duty last Sunday. Emerson pleaded not guilty Tuesday. Two bald men stand during a court hearing.](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7007259.1698239271!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/horizon-air-cockpit-emergency.jpg)
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 mid-flight, and later told police he had been struggling with depression, according to charging documents made public Tuesday.