The Alaska Airlines pilot who attempted to shut down the engines of a plane full of passengers reportedly suffered a “mental breakdown” in mid-air and was known by his bewildered neighbors as a loving father and devoted husband.
Joseph Emerson, 44, was off-duty while riding in the jump seat in the cabin of a flight from Washington to San Francisco on Sunday when he allegedly jumped into the controls and attempted to activate the fire suppression system on the plane, a movement that would have cut off fuel to the engines and ultimately caused the plane to fall to the ground.
The flight’s captain and first officer managed to restrain Emerson and then make an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon, where the flight crew informed the 83 passengers on board what had happened in direct terms.
“The flight attendant came back on the loudspeaker and said, plain and simple, ‘He had a mental breakdown. We needed to get him off the plane immediately,’” passenger Aubrey Gavello told ABC News.
Alaska Airlines confirmed the incident, saying the plane never lost power and all passengers and crew landed safely.
The flight crew told passengers that Emerson suffered a “mental breakdown” during Sunday’s flightJoseph Emerson/Facebook
Emerson was arrested upon landing and faced with countless charges, including 83 counts of attempted murder.
In his community of Pleasant Hill, outside San Francisco, neighbors of the married father of two were stunned by news of the incident.
“This is really shocking and disturbing news,” neighbor Karen Yee told the Daily Mail.
“They are excellent neighbors. He is a fantastic father. He plays with the children all the time. He is very friendly. He’s just a great guy.
“We have a son with special needs and he’s very good with him,” Yee said. “We just couldn’t imagine him doing anything that would hurt anyone.”
Joseph Emerson has two children with his wife, Sarah Stretch. The couple lives in Pleasant Hills, California.Joseph Emerson/Facebook
Another neighbor, elderly Air Force veteran Lou Rossi, said he and Emerson often talked about airplanes and jet engines.
“All I can do is attest to his character,” Rossi said. “I’ve helped him do things at his house. He does many things with his children. “I cannot say a single word that is derogatory towards him.”
“I watch the news all the time and see things happening in neighborhoods where people say they could never believe someone would do something like this.”
“All I can tell you is that he is a really nice man, and his wife, Sarah, is a really nice lady, and they have never even remotely made me think anything negative about them,” he said.
Emerson and Stretch’s neighbors said the family seemed perfectly happy and were loving parents.
Emerson’s wife, Sarah Stretch, could not be reached when contacted by The Post.
In addition to the attempted murder charges, Emerson faces 83 additional counts of recklessly endangering another person and one count of first-degree endangering an aircraft, according to the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office.
The flight had taken off from Everette, Washington, around 5:30 p.m. and made its emergency landing at Portland International Airport in Oregon about an hour later.
The plane was cruising at about 35,000 feet, flight data showed.
Emerson is being held at the Multnomah County Detention Center in Portland, where he awaits processing.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn