Off-Duty Pilot Who Tried to Stop Plane's Engine Mid-Air After Ingesting Psychedelic Mushrooms Avoids Jail By Angel Saunders

A former Alaska Airlines pilot who attempted to cut a plane’s engine off mid-flight while riding as a passenger will not face jail time. 

On Monday, Nov. 17, U.S. District Court Judge Amy Baggio ruled that instead of prison, Joseph David Emerson would receive time served and three years of supervised release, the Associated Press reported.

During the Oct. 22, 2023, incident, an off-duty Emerson was sitting in the cockpit of an Horizon Air (a subsidiary of Alaska Airlines) flight when he attempted to disable the plane’s engines. He was on Flight 2059 traveling from Everett, Wash., to San Francisco with more than 80 people on board. The flight was diverted to Portland, Ore.

He later told investigators he had a nervous breakdown after he ingested psychedelic mushrooms and had not slept in 40 hours, per court documents reviewed by PEOPLE at the time.

Crew on board were able to subdue him and he spent 46 days in jail, the outlet reported. He was released pending trial in December 2023.

“Pilots are not perfect. They are human. They are people and all people need help sometimes,” Baggio said in federal court in Portland, according to the outlet.

“I’m not a victim. I am here as a direct result of my actions,” Emerson told the court Monday, per the AP. “I can tell you that this very tragic event has forced me to grow as an individual.”

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His attorneys said that although their client did not receive the proposed 20-year maximum sentence, the former pilot will still face consequences. 

“These punishments will never end. Mr. Emerson has lost his livelihood. He has lost his standing in the community, the career he loved, and he will be forever marked by this federal conviction,” his attorneys wrote in his sentencing memorandum, ABC News reported.

Additionally, the Federal Aviation Administration has revoked Emerson’s pilot and medical certificates. He was also let go from Alaska Airlines and previously fined up to $250,000, according to the plea agreement obtained by PEOPLE.

​​As part of the agreement, Emerson agreed to pay restitution in full to the victims, the U.S. District Attorney’s Oregon Office said in September. 

“I am so sorry for those that it’s impacted as much as it has. But I am extremely proud to be here with this man today, because the growth that he has had from this terrible experience has not only helped him, but benefited all that surround him,” Emerson’s wife, Sarah Stretch, said through tears Monday, per the AP. “I just hope people realize that it’s not necessarily the mistake itself but how you respond to it. He has responded with courage, strength and demonstration of extreme resiliency.”

Earlier this year, Emerson told CBS News that after the death of his best friend, he began using alcohol and “magic mushrooms.” He also said he felt a sense of “all-out panic and fear” in the cockpit.

He told the outlet he thought he was dreaming when he attempted to take down the flight, adding, “I was in reality. I know that now. You know, it’s the most consequential three seconds of my life.” 

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The incident inspired the August 2024 FX and Hulu documentary, Lie to Fly, which discusses pilot mental health protocols and calls for reform within the aviation industry.