In a startling revelation, Joseph Emerson, the Alaska Airlines pilot who risked the lives of 83 passengers in an attempt to "wake up from a bad dream" while under the influence of psychedelic mushrooms, has come forward to share his story.
Emerson's reckless actions, which could have resulted in a catastrophic crash, have led to his arrest and subsequent charges of endangerment.
Despite the gravity of his actions, the pilot claims that the incident has had a positive impact on his life.
According to the Daily Mail, Emerson was still under the influence of the hallucinogenic substance and suffering from sleep deprivation when he took control of the aircraft in October. The pilot, who was also battling alcoholism at the time, had been on a drug-fueled trip with friends prior to the flight. His impaired judgment led him to believe he was trapped in a dream, a delusion that nearly ended in disaster when he reached for the red lever that would have shut down the plane's engines.
During the flight, Emerson's co-pilots managed to prevent him from pulling the lever, thereby averting a potential catastrophe. "I'm better for it which is kind of a weird thing to say but I am really better for all of us," Emerson stated, attributing the incident to saving his marriage and allowing him more time with his children. He is currently awaiting sentencing on 80 counts of reckless endangerment, charges to which he has pleaded not guilty.
Emerson's hallucinogenic trip was part of a memorial for his best friend Scott, a fellow pilot who had passed away six years prior. Despite feeling out of sorts, Emerson accepted the responsibility of piloting Flight 2059 from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco. His altered state of mind led him to believe that he was trapped in a dream, a delusion that nearly turned fatal when he attempted to "wake up" by shutting off the plane's engines.
"There are two red handles in front of my face," Emerson recalled. "And thinking that I was going to wake up, thinking this is my way to get out of this non-real reality, I reached up and I grabbed them, and I pulled the levers." His actions were thwarted by the quick thinking of his co-pilots, who physically restrained him and brought him back to reality.
Emerson's erratic behavior continued even after he was removed from the cockpit. He attempted to open the cabin door, once again under the impression that the act would wake him from his hallucination. A flight attendant intervened, and Emerson requested to be restrained for the remainder of the flight. "I essentially asked to be restrained myself because I knew if this is real, I've already done enough damage," he explained.
Sarah Emerson, the pilot's wife, expressed her shock and horror upon learning that her husband was facing 83 attempted murder charges, one for each passenger on board. These charges have since been downgraded. "I screamed and I keeled over, and I almost fell," she confessed. "They grabbed me and pulled me over because I know what that means. I was in a complete shock."
Despite the severity of his actions, Emerson praised the professionalism of his co-pilots and the flight crew. "What I did was, something we don't train for, and they handled it fantastic. It's really a result of their professionalism and the way they handled that situation that I'm alive today," he said. He also expressed a desire to return to the skies, although he acknowledged that this might not be a possibility. "Of course I want to fly again. I'd be totally disingenuous if I said no," he admitted. "But at the end of the day, if I'm not meant to fly again, I'm not going to fly again."
The passengers who were on board the flight have yet to respond to Emerson's comments. His actions serve as a stark reminder of the potential dangers of substance abuse, particularly in professions where lives are at stake. As Emerson awaits his sentencing, the aviation industry and the public will undoubtedly be watching closely, hoping that such a terrifying incident will not be repeated.
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