"Alaska Airlines Jet Allegedly Targeted by Off-duty Pilot Experiencing a Mental Breakdown"

An off-duty pilot, Joseph David Emerson, has been charged with 83 counts of attempted murder after allegedly attempting to crash a passenger jet. The incident occurred on an Alaska Airlines flight on Sunday, with Emerson sitting in the cockpit behind the captain and first officer. According to court documents, Emerson told the pilots that he was not okay and then reached for the shutoff handles. One of the pilots had to physically restrain him before he was removed from the cockpit. During the incident, Emerson also tried to reach for the emergency exit handle. Flight attendants reported hearing him say that he had messed everything up and tried to kill everybody. During a police interview, Emerson claimed to have had a nervous breakdown and not slept for 40 hours. He admitted to pulling the shutoff handles because he thought he was dreaming and wanted to wake up. Emerson also mentioned taking psychedelic mushrooms. The investigation is ongoing to determine if he was under the influence of a psychedelic substance at the time. Additionally, Emerson faces charges of reckless endangerment and endangering an aircraft. The flight was diverted to Portland, Oregon, and Emerson is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday. Passengers onboard were unaware of the situation until the flight attendant announced a medical emergency and the need for an immediate landing.