American Emerson, the pilot who tried to turn off the engine while hitchhiking on an Alaska Airline, confessed to using hallucinogenic mushrooms and suffering a nervous breakdown.
Joseph David Emerson, 44, told police on October 24 that he had suffered a nervous breakdown due to using hallucinogenic "magic mushrooms" and had not slept for 40 hours before attempting to disable the engine of an Alaska Airlines plane carrying 84 people.
The pilot was assigned to the co-pilot seat in the cockpit of an Embraer E175 flying from Washington to San Francisco on the evening of October 22. However, while the plane was en route, Emerson attempted to activate the fire suppression system to shut down the engine.
Discovering Emerson's actions, flight crew members restrained him, diverted the plane to an emergency landing at Portland airport, and handed Emerson over to the police.
The pilot later said he had been struggling with depression for the past six months and was in a state of shock during the flight. Emerson told the captain and co-pilot “I’m not okay” just before reaching for two red levers on the ceiling to activate the fire suppression system.
These two switches, when activated, cut off the fuel flow, causing the aircraft's engines to stop working.
Joseph David Emerson at a hearing on October 24 in Portland, USA. Photo: KUTV
One of the two pilots in the cockpit stopped Emerson, and the other declared an emergency. Emerson admitted to trying to pull the lever, but said he did so because he felt like he was "trying to wake up from a dream".
Emerson then left the cockpit, telling the flight attendants: "Handcuff me now, or things will get really bad, I might try to kill everyone."
The crew handcuffed Emerson and forced him into a seat at the back of the plane. But as the plane descended, Emerson tried to get up and open the emergency exit, but was stopped by a flight attendant.
Emerson said it was his first time using "magic" mushrooms, which can be used to treat mental disorders, but cause hallucinations.
Modern aircraft are equipped with engine fire suppression systems that use inert gases to isolate the fire from oxygen. Aircraft with all engines shut down can still fly like a glider, with electrical and hydraulic systems powered by emergency wind turbines.
An Alaska Airlines plane takes off in Alberta, Canada, July 10. Photo: Reuters
Alaska Airlines said on October 24 that staff did not detect any signs of mental impairment during the check-in process for Emerson, who was not part of the crew, did not have to buy a ticket and sat in the cockpit.
Emerson is facing charges of attempted murder, reckless endangerment and endangering the safety of an aircraft. Emerson pleaded not guilty to the charges at a hearing in Portland on October 24.
Magic mushrooms are banned in the United States under federal law, except for Oregon, the first state to legalize their use for supervised therapeutic purposes in 2020.
Duc Trung (According to Reuters, Guardian )
Source link
Comment (0)