US pilot takes magic mushrooms, attempts to choke engines mid-flight

An off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot appeared to hallucinate mid-flight and attempted to shut down the plane’s engine. Court documents show had consumed psilocybin ‘magic mushrooms’ days before the flight.

When asked about why he attempted to shut off the engines, the pilot said he thought he was dreaming and wanted to wake up. He also claimed to be sleep-deprived.

Reports say the 44-year-old was contained by the cabin crew and arrested by law enforcement officials after the flight made an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon.

The pilot, identified as Joseph Emerson, had “attempted to grab and pull two red fire handles that would have activated the plane's emergency fire suppression system and cut off fuel to its engines,” the US Justice Department said.

“During the flight's descent, Emerson tried to grab the handle of an emergency exit. A flight attendant stopped him by placing her hands on top of his,” the statement added.

State prosecutors in Oregon filed 83 counts of attempted murder against the Alaska Airlines pilot on Tuesday just before he appeared in court, with his attorney, Noah Horst, entering not-guilty pleas on his behalf.

Federal prosecutors meanwhile charged Emerson with interfering with a flight crew, which can carry up to 20 years in prison, news agency Associated Press reported.

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