Off-duty US pilot who tried to crash plane midair to avoid new prison time

Former Alaska Airlines pilot Joseph Emerson received no additional prison time for attempting to shut down a passenger plane's engines during an October 2023 flight, with a federal judge sentencing him to time already served and three years of supervised release. Emerson attributed his actions to a mental breakdown caused by hallucinogenic mushrooms, sleep deprivation, and grief over a friend's death, pleading guilty to interfering with a flight crew while avoiding up to 20 years in prison through a plea deal. The incident, which lasted approximately 90 seconds before other crew members subdued him, forced the diversion of a flight carrying 80 passengers from Washington to California.