Overview

• Joseph David Emerson pleaded guilty and was sentenced in Oregon state court to 50 days already served, five years of supervised release, about $60,000 in restitution, and 664 hours of community service.
• He entered a federal guilty plea for interfering with a flight crew and a no-contest plea to state endangerment; federal sentencing is set for November 17, with prosecutors able to seek up to one year in prison.
• The October 2023 incident occurred while Emerson was off duty in the cockpit jump seat when he tried to pull the two red engine fire handles, and pilots restrained him within roughly 90 seconds as the flight diverted to Portland.
• In cabin after removal from the cockpit, he told a flight attendant to handcuff him and later attempted to grasp an emergency-exit handle, according to court accounts.
• In court, Emerson said he had taken psilocybin two days earlier, had been awake more than 40 hours, and was grieving a close friend; prosecutors and at least one passenger criticized the penalties as insufficient and the conduct as reckless.