Alaska Airline Pilot Hit With Attempted Murder Says He Took Mushrooms Before Flight

The off-duty pilot accused of attempted murder for trying to cut off engines for an Alaska Airlines flight told investigators he took “magic mushrooms” and thought pulling the handles to cut off the flight’s fuel would cause him to “wake up” from a dream.

State court records obtained by CNN show that Joseph Emerson, 44, told law enforcement that he “had consumed ‘magic mushrooms’ approximately 48 hours prior to the incident on the plane.” He also said he had been awake for the last 40 hours, according to a federal court document.

One of the pilots “grabbed Emerson’s wrists and (the other pilot) reported that they wrestled with Emerson for a few seconds before Emerson stopped and said he was okay,” the documents read, adding that, “Emerson was not able to pull the handles all the way down before the pilots intervened.”

Emerson had experienced depression and the recent death of a friend, according to the documents. He told investigators he was having a nervous breakdown and told the flight crew he needed to be subdued, according to a separate federal criminal complaint. (Read more from “Alaska Airline Pilot Hit With Attempted Murder Says He Took Mushrooms Before Flight” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.