Passengers Sue Alaska Airlines Over Off-Duty Pilot's Attempt to Crash Mid-Flight, Call for Tougher Mental Health Checks

Passengers claim they experienced what felt like a "nose-dive" and ongoing emotional distress after off-duty pilot Joseph Emerson, dealing with depression and sleep deprivation, allegedly tried to disable an Alaska Airlines-owned Horizon Air flight's engines. The lawsuit calls for a class-action, demands the airlines to conduct pre-flight mental health checks, and seeks unspecified damages for psychological trauma. Emerson faces state and federal charges including 83 counts of attempted murder.

The passengers' lawsuit against Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air cites mental distress, including anxiety, insomnia, and fear of flying, from the incident involving off-duty pilot Joseph Emerson. They are seeking an explanation as to why Emerson was not subjected to pre-flight security screening.
Emerson, who allegedly tried to shut down the plane's engines, has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder charges in Oregon State Court. He reportedly told police he had struggled with depression and had taken psychedelic mushrooms approximately 48 hours before the flight.
The plaintiffs in the case are calling for mandatory pre-flight mental health checks for all crew members. They argue that airlines should challenge the assumption that every pilot that shows up at the gate is rested, sober, and in the right mental state to fly.
The incident has highlighted concerns in the aviation industry about stigma and FAA policies that pilots perceive as punitive for seeking mental health support. Pilots may lose their ability to fly for months or years and face significant costs for medical evaluations when they report mental health treatment.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for emotional distress and other consequences of the incident. It also calls for a class-action status to represent other passengers on the flight, which had been diverted and landed safely in Portland after off-duty pilot Emerson was restrained.

The San Francisco Standard