Off-duty pilot onboard Alaska Airlines flight attempts to disable engines

An Alaska Airlines flight bound for San Francisco was diverted to Portland, Oregon, after an off-duty pilot tried to shut down the plane’s engines in the cockpit.

Alaska Airlines Flight 2059, operated by Horizon Air from Everett, Washington, was diverted Sunday after reporting a credible safety threat related to an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot sitting in the jump seat in the cockpit, the airline said.

The Federal Aviation Administration told airlines in a message seen by Reuters that the individual tried to disable the engines of the Embraer 175 regional jet by deploying the fire suppression system, adding that the crew was able to subdue the individual and remove him from the cockpit to delete. The engines were never turned off, Alaska said.

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

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

“Let me just warn you. We have the guy who tried to shut down the engines from the cockpit,” the pilot told FAA air traffic control, according to audio posted by LiveATC. ‘It doesn’t sound like he’s causing any problems at the back. I think he’s subdued…We want law enforcement as soon as we get on the ground and park.”

The FAA told airlines in a separate message Monday that the incident is “in no way related to current world events” but said it is “always a good practice to remain vigilant.”

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

Alaska Airlines said all passengers on board could travel on a later flight.