Pilot who tried to shut down engine midflight claims he ingested magic mushrooms

LOS ANGELES: The pilot who faced arrest over allegations of attempting to sabotage a flight by shutting down the plane's engine has now revealed that he consumed psychedelic mushrooms before the incident. Court documents indicate that the pilot, Joseph David Emerson (44), experienced a nervous breakdown after ingesting the mushrooms. The incident took place in Oregon, USA.

Emerson was not on duty at the time of the occurrence; he was travelling in the crew seat in the aircraft's cockpit. During takeoff, he deliberately switched off the engines and even attempted to open the rear emergency exit. Emerson's actions were an attempt to endanger an Alaska Airlines flight from Everett, Washington, bound for San Francisco, which was carrying 80 passengers and four crew members, including two children. Quick-thinking crew members managed to subdue him, and the plane made an emergency landing before the police took him into custody.

The pilot now faces charges related to attempted murder and endangering the aircraft. Emerson informed the police that he had been awake for over 40 hours and had consumed mushrooms that induced a state of psychosis. He explained that this was his first experience with such substances and believed he was in a dream-like state during the incident.