Overview
- U.S. District Judge Amy Baggio sentenced Joseph Emerson to time served and three years of supervised release in Portland federal court.
- Federal prosecutors sought a one-year prison term, but the court declined additional incarceration after noting significant collateral consequences.
- In September, a Multnomah County court imposed 50 days credited as time served, five years of probation, 664 hours of community service, and about $60,000 in restitution.
- Emerson was restrained after reaching for red fire-suppression handles on an Oct. 22, 2023 Horizon Air flight, which could have cut fuel to both engines, and the jet diverted safely to Portland.
- He told authorities he had taken psilocybin two days earlier and had not slept for more than 40 hours, and he has since pursued sobriety and pilot mental-health advocacy.