What we know about the Alaska Airlines pilot facing 83 counts of attempted murder

An off-duty pilot flying in the cockpit of an Alaska Airlines flight is now facing state and federal charges stemming from his attempt to shut down the plane’s engines midflight.

Alaska Airlines pilot Joseph D. Emerson, 44, has been charged both in the state of Oregon and federal court after he tried to cut off fuel for the engines of an airplane en route to San Francisco from Washington state. He is expected to appear in court at 2 p.m. PDT on Tuesday afternoon.

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Here’s what we know about Emerson and the incident that led to federal and state investigations.

Who is Joseph D. Emerson?

Emerson lives in Pleasant Hill, California, according to the U.S. Justice Department. Emerson has worked in aviation for at least two decades, according to information shared in a statement from Alaska Airlines.

He joined Alaska Air Group in 2001 as a first officer with Horizon. In 2012, Emerson left Horizon to work for Virgin America as a pilot. Once Alaska Airlines acquired Virgin America in 2016, Emerson became a first officer with Alaska. He worked for three more years to become a pilot for the airline in 2019.

“Throughout his career, Emerson completed his mandated FAA medical certifications in accordance with regulatory requirements, and at no point were his certifications denied, suspended or revoked,” the airline said.

The most recent FAA medical examination was last month, according to Federal Aviation Administration records reviewed by CNN. He has a first-class medical certificate, the highest level of certification, and the FAA requires examinations every six months for pilots 40 years old and older.

Records also show that Emerson held an Airline Transport Pilot certification with ratings to fly the Airbus A320, Boeing 737, Canadair Regional Jet, and De Havilland Dash 8. He did not hold a certification to fly the ERJ 175, those records indicate, which was the type of airplane in use during Sunday’s incident.

What happened on Oct. 22?

After taking off from Everett, Washington, Alaska Airlines Flight 2059 reported a “security threat related to an off-duty Alaskan Airlines pilot, identified as Captain Joseph Emerson, who was traveling in the flight deck jump seat,” the airline said.

While in the cockpit, Emerson tried to shut down both of the engines by pulling its fire extinguisher handles, according to the airline. The flight was at cruise altitude when the incident occurred, Capt. Mike Karn from American Airlines said in a memo to his airline via CNN.

The Flight 2059 crew quickly reset both handles and helped restore the flow of fuel and prevented the engines from cutting out, Alaska Airlines said.

“Our crew responded without hesitation to a difficult and highly unusual situation, and we are incredibly proud and grateful for their skillful actions,” the airline said in the statement.

“We’ve got the guy that tried to shut the engines down out of the cockpit, and he doesn’t sound like he’s causing any issue in the back right now. I think he’s subdued,” a pilot told air traffic controllers, according to audio recorded by Live Air Traffic Control. “We want law enforcement as soon as we get on the ground and parked.”

The FBI said it spoke to the two pilots of Flight 2059, who told agents about the events that occurred in the air.

“The pilots recounted that, approximately halfway between Astoria, Oregon, and Portland, after engaging with them in casual conversation, Emerson 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. After a brief physical struggle with the pilots, Emerson exited the cockpit,” the FBI said in a statement.

Flight attendants placed Emerson in wrist restraints and seated him in the rear of the aircraft. Emerson allegedly tried to pull the handle of an emergency exit but a flight attendant stopped him by putting her hands on top of his, the FBI said.

When the flight landed in Portland around 6:30 p.m., Emerson was taken into custody by Port of Portland police officers “without further incident” and booked into Multnomah County Detention Center, the FBI said. He remains in custody on a federal hold and is being held without bail, the agency said.

No injuries were reported on the flight and all passengers aboard Flight 2059 were able to take a later flight to San Francisco.

Authorities do not believe the incident was an act of terrorism or ideologically motivated violence but possibly the result of a mental health episode, a law enforcement source told CNN.

What charges is Emerson facing?

Emerson is facing both state and federal charges as of Tuesday.

He is charged in Oregon with 83 counts of attempted murder, 83 counts of reckless endangerment, and one count of endangering an aircraft.

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On Tuesday, the FBI announced that Emerson had been charged in federal court as well. He faces one count of interfering with flight crew members and attendants.

Emerson will appear in court on state charges on Tuesday afternoon. A federal court date has not been set as of now.