'I made a big mistake': Former Alaska Airlines pilot who tried to shut off engines shares story

Joseph Emerson, a former Alaska Airlines pilot, calls it the biggest mistake of his life.

[WhoDeanyUnchained]

Almost killed everyone on the plane and still walking around free living his best life.... Must be nice to have that privilege. Must be nice

[StevenGA]

Serve your time sir and stop blaming mushrooms. Your bf died, we all lose friends and family but most all of us don't decide to mass murder over it.

[kendallevans]

This guy is still delusional! Let's see; blame the 'shrooms, blame the work schedule, blame the loss of sleep, blame blame everything and everybody EXCEPT ME!
I hope he loses his pilots license and gets some serious jail time....WITHOUT 'shrooms!

[micahwest]

Why is he not being interviewed from inside a prison?

[CrimeMaMa]

To me that sounds like over 80 counts of attempted murder! How is he out?

[johnpaullennon]

With 84 consecutive life sentences I suppose the take away here kids is don't do drugs. I'm an autistic that is depressed for a little over my entire life and I am not holding the lives of passengers in my hands and I would still never take anything that could cause a psychotic break must less use my stressful life and depression as some sort of bs excuse.

[PraiseBAllah]

psychedelics will be the only way this guy flies from now on

[bohenriksson]

I’m a pilot of one of those E175:s. If he’d managed to pull the fire handles the engines would have shut down and the crew could not have restarted them. The consequences are obvious.
I don’t give a rats ass about him or his life.
He broke every code of conduct and law.
He needs to be imprisoned for a very long time

[mmayes]

The FAA has already changed the rules on mental health before his episode !

[urrrccckostan]

for god's sake why is he not in a straight jacket RIGHT NOW???

[iiChadd]

Blaming mushrooms on you being a terrible person is actually insane.

[huoqyni]

Give me a break. Guy is playing the victim after he almost killed hundreds of people.

[brandonpenn]

Wait wait wait he’s fighting this case from home ? And is being painted as a victim ? With a documentary coming out ? Lolol wow man

[lsudaddy]

i was on that flight. this guy should be behind bars. he knew pulling those handles would take that plane down and he should take responsibility for it.

[kevgret]

This guy is a joke! he chose to fly with drugs in his takes no accountability

[thesummerof]

I just can't fathom a commercial airline pilot doing drugs at all.
Pilots need to be drug tested before each scheduled flught, PERIOD!
I'm sure there's many more.

[davidblaine]

Whats he saying mostly?
Me me me me I I I I he's dangerous to society and probably his family! Can you say Attempted Murder?

[doreenarchambault]

Pull his license...why risk that again?

[rosemadder]

Poor guy. It's astounding what a lack of sleep can do, even without the mushrooms. I'm an EMT, I worked 24 hour shifts a while back. After so long you get this detached feeling, it's hard to read and retain things, it's almost impossible to even just think. I hope this leads to modernizing mental health awareness for these people. You shouldn't be scared to get help for depression bc you may lose your career.

[PraiseBAllah]

oh god...heavily medicated pilots are the best option we have now??? please no