An off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot has been charged with more than 80 counts of attempted murder after reportedly attempting to turn off a plane's engines mid-flight on Sunday, October 22, leading the flight to divert to Portland. Flight 2059 took off from Everett, Washington, heading for San Francisco, according to an Alaska Airlines statement. It was flown by Horizon Air, an Alaska Airlines affiliate, but was diverted owing to a "credible security" threat associated with a passenger in the cockpit's flight deck jump seat. The plane's exchanges with air traffic control show an effort to switch off the engines. Off-duty airline pilots typically sit in the jump seat behind the pilots to fly back to their home base if seats are available. The accused was identified as 44-year-old Joseph David Emerson and was apprehended by Port of Portland police after arrival. Delta Air Lines’ LA-Nashville Bound Flight Diverted to New Mexico After Unruly Passenger Tries To Break Into the Cockpit.

Alaska Airlines Flight 'Crash Attempt'

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 23, 2023 10:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).