Alaska Airlines Pilot Tried to Shut Off Plane Mid-Flight, Then Gave a Shocking Reason — and He Just Pleaded Guilty

A former Alaska Airlines pilot who was accused of trying to sabotage a flight in 2023 has reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors.

Joseph D. Emerson, 46, pleaded guilty on Friday, Sept. 5, to one felony count of interference with flight crew members and attendants. He also agreed to give up his right to a grand jury indictment, according to the plea agreement obtained by PEOPLE.

The conviction carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and three years of supervised release. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 17.

Prosecutors say Emerson was sitting in the cockpit’s jump seat during a flight from Seattle to San Francisco on Oct. 22, 2023. He allegedly tried to shut off the plane’s engines by pulling the engine fire handles. (The flight was operated by Horizon Air, a subsidiary of Alaska Airlines.)

Before this, he reportedly threw his headset across the cockpit and said, “I am not okay,” according to a criminal complaint obtained by PEOPLE.

Emerson was restrained by flight attendants and moved to the back of the plane, stopping any further attempts to sabotage the aircraft. The flight was rerouted to Portland, where it landed safely and Emerson was taken into custody.

During questioning, Emerson said he had a severe mental breakdown during the flight. He explained he had been sleep-deprived and had taken psychedelic mushrooms two days earlier. He claimed he felt like he was dreaming and had an urgent need to “wake up,” which led him to try to disable the engines.

Emerson spoke about the incident in an August 2024 interview on ABC’s Good Morning America. He said he had trouble distinguishing reality while under the influence of the drug, which he took after reflecting on the death of a close friend.

“What I thought is, ‘This is going to wake me up,’” Emerson said, per ABC. “’I know what those levers do in a real airplane and I need to wake up from this.’ You know, it’s 30 seconds of my life that I wish I could change, and I can’t.”

The New York Times documentary Lie to Fly, which premiered on FX and Hulu in August 2024, explores Emerson’s story and the bigger issues of airline safety and pilot mental health.

Emerson was also charged with 83 counts of endangering another person in Oregon, which he plans to plead no contest, CNN reported. He had previously pleaded not guilty and was released from custody in December 2023 while awaiting trial.