Navigating a vehicle in the air that carries around 100 people and combing through rough weather while being proactive for long flight hours requires an alert mind, quick decision-making, concentration, patience, mental stability, and sufficient rest.
Back on June 22, 2022, more than 1300 pilots from Southwest Airlines stood on the picket line, expressing their grievances of being overworked and working for mere peanuts.
Moreover, a plague loomed over the aviation industry, known as “pilot fatigue.” A small fraction of trained pilots are burdened with long, strenuous hours. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has mandated at least 10 hours of sleep for pilots between long flights.
However, due to a shortage of pilots, each individual performs more than the aggregate hours, thus reducing the rest period below human standards.
According to a BBC study, 80% of Aviation accidents (relatively rare) are caused by human error, of which 15-20% are due to overworked and fatigued pilots.
In another survey by the British Airline Pilots’ Association in a sample of 500 pilots– 43% said that they had involuntarily fallen asleep in the cockpit. And even more unnervingly, 31% stated that they woke up to find the other pilot asleep.
On October 22, 2023, an off-duty pilot, Joseph Emerson, tried to activate the jet’s fire suppression system, which would cut off the flow of fuel to the engines. Some sources stated that Emerson was having a “mental breakdown” and apparently hadn’t slept in 40 hours. He later told the flight attendants to cuff him or “it’s going to be bad.”
Emerson is booked for 83 counts of attempted murder in the first degree, 83 counts of recklessly endangering another person, and one count of endangering an aircraft in the first degree.
What Did Joseph Emerson Do?
Alaska Airlines Flight 2059 was en route from Everett, Washington, at 17:25 local time to San Fransisco at 19:30 on October 22, 2023. But then, within a few hours, the flight was abruptly diverted to Portland, Oregon. What prompted such a hasty decision…. let’s find out.
Joseph David Emerson, 44 year-old-pilot, was assigned an off-duty flight after completing his schedule.
During the flight, Emerson engaged in casual conversation with the cabin crew. A few moments later, the crew was blindsided by the pilot’s sudden actions.
Emerson tried to pull the two T-valve handles down, which would activate the fire suppression system, subsequently cutting off the fuel supply for each engine.
The Alaska Airlines said, “quick reaction of our crew to reset the T-handles ensured engine power was not lost.”
Emerson was removed from the cockpit and retrained by the cabin crew.
One of them reported to the air traffic control–
“We’ve got the guy that tried to shut the engines down out of the cockpit, and he doesn’t sound like he’s causing any issue in the back right now. The pilot relayed that the suspect was subdued before requesting police presence “as soon as we got on the ground and parked.”
Per the prosecutors’ reports, Emerson even “tried to grab the handle of an emergency exit,” but a flight attendant stopped him instantly.
Another flight attendant was heard on the speaker that Emerson had a “mental breakdown.” After the flight landed in Portland, Emerson was taken into custody at the Multnomah County jail.
Why Did the Pilot Try to Crash the Alaska Plane?
You must have heard that eight hours of sleep is like an elixir for a healthy body and an awake mind. Emerson allegedly hadn’t slept in the past 40 hours before the incident.
Emerson was also quite vocal about the pilot’s plight and how the management mistreated them by aligning impromptu schedules on a subpar wage.
Back in 2020, he posted an urge to the politicians for financial aid to the pilots who have been severely underpaid with practically no work-life balance.
He also tweeted–
“Thousands of my fellow @WeAreALPA pilots have been furloughed. Inaction has consequences. We need #ReliefNow. @senfeinstein, #ExtendPSP to help U.S. aviation workers before December 18. The longer we delay, the more lives will be shattered, and the economy stalled.”
The complaint lodged against Emerson suggests that he talked about consuming psychedelics with his colleague.
Inferring from the information so far, it seems that Joeseph Emerson was not in a stable mental condition to be operating the flight, jeopardizing the lives of 80 passengers and crew members.
Who Is Joeseph Emerson? All We Know About The Pilot Who Tried To Crash The Alaska Airline
Alaska Airlines spokesperson Cailee Lyngaas told CBS News–
“Throughout 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.”
2001-2012: Emerson began his career with Horizon Air as the first officer.
2016: He joined Virgin America as a pilot.
2017: Emerson was promoted to captain on Alaska Airlines.
Emerson is also a family man, a father of two. His neighbors would describe him as “positive, very friendly, upbeat” and were shocked to hear the news of him trying to crash a plane.
Emerson has pleaded not guilty to all the charges of 83 counts.
What is your take on the case? Do you think Emerson is solely responsible for the mental instability and deliberately putting lives in danger? Should Alaskan Airlines be held accountable for pilot fatigue?
Let us know in the comments section below.
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