Alaska Airlines flight diverts after off-duty pilot attempts to disable engines

An Alaska Airlines flight bound for San Francisco was diverted to Portland, Oregon, after an off-duty pilot inside the flight deck attempted to disable the aircraft engines.

Alaska Airlines Flight 2059 operated by Horizon Air from Everett, Washington, diverted on Sunday after reporting a credible security threat related to an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot who was travelling in the flight deck jump seat, the airline said.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told airlines in a notice that the individual sought to disable the engines on the Embraer 175 regional jet by deploying the fire suppression system. It said the crew was able to subdue the individual and remove him from the flight deck. The engines were never disabled, Alaska said.

A 44-year-old man, Joseph David Emerson, was booked on 83 counts of attempted murder and endangering an aeroplane, according to Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office booking information.

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An FAA pilot database shows Mr Emerson is listed as a certified pilot who received a medical clearance last month.

“I’ll just give you a heads-up. We’ve got the guy that tried to shut the engines down out of the cockpit,” the aircraft’s pilot told FAA air traffic control, according to audio posted by LiveATC. “It doesn’t sound like he’s causing any issue at the back. I think he’s subdued... We want law enforcement as soon as we get on the ground and parked.”

The FAA told airlines in a separate notice on Monday that the incident was “not connected in any way, shape or form to current world events” but said it was “always good practice to maintain vigilance.”

It is standard practice for off-duty pilots to sit in jump seats to return home or to a future flight assignment.

Alaska Airlines said all passengers on board were able to travel on a later flight. “We are grateful for the professional handling of the situation by the Horizon flight crew and appreciate our guests’ calm and patience throughout this event,” the airline added. – Reuters