Off-Duty Pilot Charged After Allegedly Attempting to Shut Down Plane's Engines

An off-duty pilot allegedly attempted to shut down a plane’s engines mid-flight. After an Alaska Airlines flight took off from Washington, a crisis erupted. Off-duty pilot Joseph David Emerson was sitting inside the cockpit when he reportedly lunged for the controls and tried to shut off the plane’s engines. The plane diverted to Portland for an emergency landing. He was charged with 83 counts of attempted murder. No passengers were harmed.