An off-duty pilot has been arrested and charged with 83 counts of tried homicide after allegedly attempting to close down a aircraft’s engines throughout a flight, inflicting the pilot to divert the plane.
The 44-year-old man, who was sitting within the spare seat of the cockpit, was “subdued” by the 2 pilots flying the plane and arrested after the aircraft landed safely at round 6.30pm native time on Sunday night.
Horizon Air flight 2059 from Everett to San Francisco was diverted to Portland, the place the suspect, named as Alaska Airlines pilot, Joe Emerson, was held by police.
Alaska Airlines, which owns Horizon, mentioned in a press release on Monday that the flight was diverted because of a “credible security” risk linked to an individual within the cockpit’s flight deck leap seat.
“The jump seat occupant unsuccessfully attempted to disrupt the operation of the engines,” the airline mentioned.
“The Horizon captain and first officer quickly responded, engine power was not lost and the crew secured the aircraft without incident.”
The flight crew adopted “appropriate FAA procedures and guidance from air traffic control” in touchdown at Portland International Airport.
“The jump seat occupant is currently in custody and the event is being investigated by law enforcement authorities, which includes the FBI and the Port of Portland Police Department.
“All passengers on board had been in a position to journey on a later flight.”
After touchdown, the 44-year-old was arrested by Port of Portland police and charged with 83 counts of tried homicide, 83 counts of reckless endangerment, and a depend of endangering an plane, in line with the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, NBC mentioned.
No weapons had been concerned, the airline mentioned.
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Audio of the aircraft’s communications with air site visitors management seem to disclose an try to show off the aircraft’s engines.
“As a heads-up. We’ve got the guy that tried to shut the engines down out of the cockpit. It doesn’t sound like he’s got any issue in the back right now. I think he’s subdued,” the pilot of the aircraft informed air site visitors management.
“Other than that we want law enforcement as soon as we get on the ground and parked.”
The incident occurred on a 76-seat Embraer 175 aircraft.
Typically, off-duty airline pilots sit within the leap seat of the flight deck behind the pilots to fly again to their residence base if seats can be found.
Source: information.sky.com”