Overview
- Joseph Emerson appears in federal court in Portland before U.S. District Judge Amy Baggio after pleading guilty to interfering with a flight crew.
- Federal prosecutors seek a one-year prison term, the defense asks for probation, and a pre‑sentence report recommends time served with three years of supervised release and six months of home detention.
- In September, an Oregon state court imposed 50 days in jail credited as time served, five years of probation, 664 hours of community service, more than $60,000 in restitution, treatment requirements, and a 25‑foot distance from operable aircraft, with half the service allowed at his pilot‑health nonprofit.
- The October 2023 Horizon Air flight diverted safely to Portland after the crew restrained Emerson in the cockpit jumpseat when he tried to pull fire‑suppression fuel‑cutoff handles, with more than 80 people aboard.
- Emerson told police he had taken psychedelic mushrooms two days earlier, had been awake for over 40 hours, and was grieving a friend’s death; the FAA revoked his pilot and medical certificates and Alaska Airlines fired him.