Alaska Airlines Capt. Joseph Emerson, facing charges on 83 counts of attempted murder, 83 counts of reckless endangerment and one count of endangering an aircraft for allegedly trying to shut down a plane's engines mid-flight, became a pilot in the early 2000s and passed mandated FAA medical certifications throughout his career.
The airline released a detailed statement Monday evening about Emerson's history as a pilot. The carrier also released details from Sunday's incident in which Emerson, who was off duty and traveling in the flight deck jump seat, "unsuccessfully attempted to disrupt the operation of the engines" of Alaska Airlines Flight 2059, operated by regional carrier Horizon Air. Alaska Airlines and Horizon are owned by parent company Alaska Air Group.
The incident occurred on a flight traveling from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco.
Emerson, 44, came to Alaska Air Group in August 2001 as a Horizon first officer.
In 2012, he joined Virgin America as a pilot, but four years later, in 2016, he became an Alaska Airlines first officer after Alaska acquired Virgin America. In 2019, he became an Alaska Airlines captain, according to the airline.
During his career, "Emerson completed his mandated FAA medical certifications in accordance with regulatory requirements, and at no point were his certifications denied, suspended or revoked," Alaska said.
Early Monday morning, Emerson was arrested by the Port of Portland and booked into Multnomah County Jail on 167 counts, including 83 counts each of attempted murder and reckless endangerment and one count of endangering an aircraft.
On Oct. 22, Alaska Airlines Flight 2059 reported a credible security threat related to Emerson, an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot who was traveling in the flight deck jump seat.
The airline said he was unsuccessful in his attempt to disrupt the operation of the engines by engaging the fire suppression system, according to the carrier.
Power was not lost, however, given the quick response by the Horizon captain and first officer, according to the carrier.
"The fire suppression system consists of a T-handle for each engine. If the T-handle is fully deployed, a valve in the wing closes to shut off fuel to the engine," Alaska said. "In this case, the quick reaction of our crew to reset the T-handles ensured engine power was not lost."
The carrier applauded the crew for responding "without hesitation to a difficult and highly unusual situation."
After following FAA procedures and guidance from air traffic control, the flight was safely diverted to Portland International Airport in Oregon where Emerson is currently in custody.
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All passengers were able to finish their trip to California on another flight with a new crew.
"We are grateful for the patience of our guests throughout this event and are reaching out to each of them individually to discuss their experience and check in on their well-being," the carrier said.
Law enforcement, including the FBI and the Port of Portland Police Department, are investigating the incident.
Emerson will be arraigned Tuesday.
FOX Business' Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
