On October 22, 2023, Joe Emerson boarded a flight from Everett, Washington to San Francisco, California. As an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot, he was able to ride in the cockpit's jump seat. Once in the air, he became agitated and uncomfortable, and without much warning—save for a few strange glances—he suddenly leapt up and attempted to grab the engine fire shut-off handles, which if pulled would have sent the craft into free fall.
In audio of this incident, Emerson states, “I’m not OK” and, after being asked if feels alright, begins cursing as he springs into dangerous action. Fortunately, the pilots’ quick reactions stopped Emerson from accomplishing his goal, and in the aftermath of this near catastrophe, he was charged with, among other federal crimes, 83 counts of attempted murder.
Scarier still? Emerson’s explanation for his outburst was that, two days prior, he’d taken psychedelic mushrooms, and on this flight home, he couldn’t tell what was real and what was a dream.
