Pilot tried to crash the plane he was on as a passenger

Pilot David P. Emerson, 44, who had been out for 2 months due to medical problems, boarded Alaska Airlines Flight 2059.

According to the Alaska Airlines statement, Emerson, who boarded the plane from Washington to California, sat in the ejection seat behind the captain and co-pilot in the cockpit.

The airlines reported that Emerson “attempted to shut down the plane’s engines” at the time, but failed.

The pilot allegedly attempted to disable the plane’s engines by activating the fire suppression systems.

Realizing what he had done, the crew put Emerson in a position to take no action.

According to voice recordings on the plane, a pilot described the incident to the Office of Air Traffic Control in the following words:

“There is a man here trying to turn off the engines. He’s in the back right now, he doesn’t seem to be causing any problems. “We want law enforcement to intervene as soon as we land.”

David P. Emerson, who was detained as the plane landed in Portland, was charged with 83 counts of attempted murder. It is unknown when Emerson will appear in court.

There were 80 passengers and a cabin crew of 3 people on the plane.

The president of a flying club who knew the pilot said of Emerson, whom he described as a kind family man: “This is very out of character. “This is crazy,” he said.

It is stated to be standard practice in the US for off-duty pilots to return home or sit in the ejection seat in preparation for a future flight.