New details are emerging about the off-duty pilot accused of trying to shut down the engines of a commercial jet carrying passengers mid-flight.
Police say Joseph Emerson had told them he had “consumed psychedelic mushrooms” and “had not slept in 40 hours.” Emerson also said he “thought he was having a nervous breakdown,” according to The New York Times.
Emerson said he had been depressed for six months. His case is raising concerns about the possible wider problem of the mental well-being of commercial pilots. Rebound in air traffic has left airlines short-staffed and pilots overworked.
It’s been revealed that the FAA has investigated nearly 5,000 pilots suspected of falsifying records about mental health disorders and other medical issues that could disqualify them from flying.
One JetBlue pilot was restrained by passengers in 2012 after he had a meltdown on his plane.
In July, one United Airlines pilot raised eyebrows when he took an ax to a parking barrier at the Denver airport, telling police he had “hit his breaking point.”
In the latest case, authorities say Emerson was in the jump seat, a foldaway cockpit seat made available to off-duty pilots. Emerson allegedly told authorities he tried to grab emergency handles that shut off fuel because “I thought I was dreaming and I just want to wake up,” according to The New York Times.
Paul Steven was a passenger on the plane.
“It was probably 10 to 20 minutes of panic,” Steven says.
Aviation law expert Justin Green says a pilot’s life can be tough.
“It’s a difficult job to get. It’s a difficult job to keep. And it can be very very high stress,” Green says. “Pilots are not superhuman. They’re not different. They go through grief, they go through anxiety, they go through life’s struggles no different than anybody else.”
Emerson has been charged with 83 counts of attempted murder, one for every passenger and crew member on the plane. He is currently being held at a local detention center.