A former 
Alaska Airlines pilot who attempted to shut off the engines of an Alaska Horizon Embraer in-flight in 2023 has been released from prison. As reported by ABC7, the pilot, who was released from custody pending trial in December 2023, was sentenced to time served and three years of supervised release by a US District Court on Monday, November 17, 2025.
The pilot stated that he had been struggling with his mental health and resorted to drugs and alcohol to deal with his struggles. He had reportedly not slept in over 40 hours during the flight, where he was flying as a jumpseater while off-duty. This comes as concern for pilot mental health is at an all-time high, with the FAA continuing to maintain strict requirements for pilots while mental health becomes a more accepted concept across the rest of society.
The Events In Question In 2023
On October 22, 2023, an Embraer E175 was operating Alaska Horizon AS2059 from Paine Field to San Francisco International Airport. In the flight deck were two pilots, along with Joseph David Emerson, an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot who was jumpseating. While the flight was cruising at 31,000 ft, he shouted that he was “not ok” and pulled the fire handles for both engines, which would have cut the power.
Emerson was told to leave the cockpit, and the systems were restarted, ensuring that thrust was not lost. Emerson walked to the back of the passenger cabin and calmly requested to be restrained by the flight attendants, who put him in wrist restraints. He allegedly attempted to open an emergency exit door during the aircraft’s descent, but was stopped by the cabin crew.
|
Aircraft |
Flight |
Date |
Crew |
Passengers |
Origin |
Destination |
Diversion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
N660QX (Embraer E175LR) |
AS2059 |
October 22, 2023 |
Five (including Emerson) |
79 |
Paine Field |
San Francisco International Airport |
Portland International Airport |
The aircraft diverted to Portland International Airport, where Emerson was arrested. He was released on December 7, 2023, and his most recent sentence came on November 17, 2025. He was sentenced to time served and three years of supervised release, with US District Court Amy Baggio stating,
“Pilots are not perfect. They are human. They are people and all people need help sometimes.
Looking At Joseph David Emerson
Joseph David Emerson is a 44-year-old former Alaska Airlines 737 captain. He had previously worked for Virgin America and Horizon Air, and has a family with a wife and two sons. He had not shown any signs of impairment prior to entering the cockpit, but he had stated that he had not slept in 40 hours and thought he was dreaming during the flight. Reportedly, he pulled the fire handles in an attempt to “wake up”.
Emerson had been struggling with severe depression for months and had recently experienced the death of his best friend. He had taken psychedelic mushrooms just two days before the flight and had also been relying on alcohol to cope with his mental health, and he may have been experiencing hallucinations during the flight. He had texted a friend of his for support, but a noise heard through his headset convinced him that he may have been in a dream and may never return to his family, leaving him desperate to “wake up”.
The resulting incident destroyed his career. A state court previously sentenced him to 50 days of jail time, with credit for time already served, along with 664 hours of community service, and over $60,000 in restitution, most of it to Alaska Air Group. Additionally, he is not allowed near an operable aircraft without permission from his probation officer. Despite this, Emerson credits the incident as a changing moment in his life, forcing him to confront his mental health struggles and to address his coping mechanisms.
Mental Health For Pilots
Simple Flying has previously covered the broader issue of addressing mental health for pilots. Currently, pilots are treated on a case-by-case basis, and the process towards working on one’s mental health with the FAA is long and laborious. The FAA appoints its own doctors and psychiatrists to evaluate pilots, and these reviews can be incredibly invasive. Doctors can require candidates to restart treatments for conditions that had previously been considered resolved, and very few medications are approved by the FAA.
With this and the fact that pilots who undergo such evaluations are often grounded for months or years, many pilots choose to hide their conditions, as was the case with Emerson. Fines for those who do can be steep, and hiding one’s mental health history can result in jail time and a revocation of their pilot’s license. However, revealing these conditions can also result in one losing their license as well, shutting the door on a highly lucrative career that most pilots spend five or six figures in training to achieve.
Pilots are entrusted with a huge responsibility, and this even applies to off-duty pilots jumpseating. Had Emerson succeeded in cutting the thrust to the engines, he could have cost the lives of over 80 people. At the same time, it’s clear that a system in which pilots often feel compelled to hide their struggles isn’t working. As such, it’s on the FAA to continue to review and alter its procedures to ensure that it takes care of its pilots, which in turn, will protect passengers.
