An off-duty airline pilot was charged with 83 counts of attempted murder after he allegedly tried to shut off the engines on an Alaska Airlines plane while it was in flight.
The man, Joseph David Emerson, has been arrested according to the Port of Portland (Ore.).
Emerson apparently tried to shut off the engines by pulling on the handles of the fire extinguishers on board.
The incident happened on Sunday, October 22, aboard a flight that was scheduled to go from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco. It was diverted to Portland.
Emerson was subdued by the flight crew and handcuffed to a seat. The flight landed safely and without further incident in Portland and no injuries were reported.
Emerson not only faces the 83 counts of attempted murder but 83 counts of reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor, and one felony count of endangering an aircraft.
He is currently in custody.
Ironically, he was heading to San Francisco because he was scheduled to pilot a flight from there later.
In a statement, Alaska Airlines said Emerson "unsuccessfully attempted to disrupt the operation of the engines."
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