On the afternoon of October 22, local time, 84 passengers and crew (including the accident maker) who flew from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco on an Alaska Airlines flight experienced a thrilling moment.
It was reported that a "fight" broke out in the cockpit shortly after takeoff, and eventually the plane had to be diverted to Portland Airport. The reason for the "fight" was that a pilot who was on duty was allowed to sit in the cockpit, but during the flight he tried to turn off the engine, but the captain and co-pilot managed to subdue him.
This was the pilot who caused the chaos, Joseph David Emerson. It is reported that he was sitting in a folding seat in the cockpit at the time of the incident, behind the captain and co-pilot.
Emerson tried to activate the plane's fire extinguishing system in flight, and if successful, the fuel supply to the engines would be cut off, and the plane would most likely fall.
"When pulled, the valves on the wings close, cutting off fuel to the engine. After they were pulled out, some residual fuel remained in the line, and our crew reacted quickly by resetting the handles, restoring fuel flow and preventing fuel shortages," an Alaska Airlines spokesperson explained.
Air traffic audio from the scene showed a pilot briefly describing what happened. "We found a guy who was trying to turn off the engine in the cockpit and it sounds like he's not causing any problems in the back seat right now and I think he's been subdued. We hope that law enforcement officers will arrive as soon as we reach the ground. ”
The passengers on the plane did not seem to have a sense of what was happening, and many of them were afraid after getting off the plane.
One passenger, Aubrey Gavello, said the flight attendant told them that Emerson had a "nervous breakdown" and needed to make an emergency landing to escort him to the hospital. In the eyes of many passengers, this is a "medical emergency" rather than a safety issue.
To that end, a passenger, Alex Wood, praised the crew's performance, "handled it very calmly, we didn't know what happened until landing." ”
Some passengers said Emerson was seen handcuffed and taken away after the plane landed, while the 44-year-old pilot has been charged with 83 counts of attempted murder, 83 counts of reckless endangerment and one count of endangering the plane, according to the latest information.
It was clear that Emerson would have a hard time of freedom in his future life, and his neighbors were shocked to learn of what he had done. Residents of the Emerson family's neighborhood reportedly described him as "the perfect father, husband and neighbor."
This is the appearance of Emerson's porch, which looks like he is preparing for Halloween, and a wooden sign with "free flying lessons" is put up, which seems to indicate the identity of the male host's pilot.
The family of four lives in a densely populated residential area in Pleasant Hills, California, with a four-bedroom home valued at $1.2 million.
Neighbors described Emerson as "a happy, playful father, a friendly man" without any problems they knew. He would play basketball with the kids on a court built for the kids in the backyard and invite neighbors to parties.
"It's hard to believe that he would do something like this on purpose," one neighbor said with tears in his eyes, "and I can't understand that he would do anything that would hurt others." ”
In addition, Emerson's wife, Sarah Stretch, is also a good person in the eyes of neighbors, she is a swimming coach who majors in sports at a local community college, and she is a good mother who dotes on her children.