Pilot High on Mushrooms Tries Dreamland Engine Shutdown
KEY POINTS
- â˘Joseph Emerson, a former Alaska Airlines pilot, faces sentencing for attempting to shut down a plane's engines.
- â˘He experienced a mental health crisis after taking magic mushrooms during a memorial for a deceased friend.
- â˘Emerson believed he was trapped in a dream, leading him to act dangerously mid-flight before his arrest.
Joseph Emerson, an off-duty Alaska Airlines captain, decided that mid-flight engine shutdown was an excellent idea after ingesting magic mushrooms at his late pilot friend's remembrance in 2024. Despite flying Alaska Airlines Flight 2059 from San Diego, he was convinced the plane was a dream trap or a purgatory loop, claiming he 'believed he was either trapped in a dream or already dead.' After his attempt to kill the engines failed thanks to swift pilots, he dipped his hand in boiling coffee for an industrial strength wake-up call. Facing 83 counts of attempted murder, Emerson now pleads for probation and credits time served while launching 'Clear Skies Ahead' â a nonprofit advocating mental health in aviation, especially given that seeking treatment might mean losing your license to fly. Oregon court is set for his sentencing next Monday, somewhere between the twilight zone and home detainment.
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Only Joseph Emerson could think turning off airplane engines mid-flight was a magic mushroom's version of 'press reset.' Weâre all terrible drivers of our own lives, but this guy almost redecorated the sky.
When your grief therapy is more 'Eat, Flight, Pray' and less 'Stay Grounded and Breathe,' you get Joseph Emerson, giving new terror to Alaska Airlinesâ slogan.
Magic mushrooms and aviation donât mix, but Joseph Emersonâs flair for drama sure didâ83 counts of attempted murder, and one very hot hand.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 11/14/2025 | Author: Pete Syme
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