An off-duty pilot has confessed to trying to crash a plane while under the magic mushroom’s influence, revealing his actions.
In a shocking incident, an off-duty has come forward to discuss his attempt to crash a plane while under the influence of magic mushrooms.
The dramatic event, which took place recently, involved Joseph David Emerson, who was controlling a commercial aircraft with 83 people on board.
Off-duty pilot admitted to taking psychedelic mushrooms before the flight
Joseph David Emerson, an off-duty pilot, attempted to crash Alaska Airlines Flight 2059 while under the influence of magic mushrooms.
He has since shared his experience, revealing the details of the dangerous incident involving 83 passengers.
This incident occurred on October 22, 2023, and has since drawn significant media attention.
Emerson, 44 explained that he and his friends took psychedelic mushrooms two days before the flight to honor the memory of his late best friend.
The effects of the drug lingered longer than he expected, leaving him feeling disoriented as he headed to the airport.
The pilot suffered illusions from the magic mushroom’s influence
On the flight, he became overwhelmed with anxiety, fearing he might never return home to his family.
In an interview with ABC News, Emerson described feeling trapped in the airplane.
He recalled, “There was a feeling of being trapped, like, ‘Am I trapped in this airplane and now I’ll never go home?’”
As he sat in the cockpit, he became convinced that his surroundings were not real.
This belief intensified when he received a text from a friend suggesting breathing exercises to calm down.
“That’s kind of where I flung off my headset, and I was fully convinced this isn’t real and I’m not going home,
“And then, as the pilots didn’t react to my completely abnormal behavior in a way that I thought would be consistent with reality,
that is when I was like, this isn’t real. I need to wake up,”
The pilot attempted to crash the plane over the magic mushroom’s influence
In his confusion, Emerson thought he was dreaming. He tried to turn off the engines, thinking it would wake him up.
He then activated the engine shut-off controls, which could have endangered 83 onboard.
“There are two red handles in front of my face,
“And thinking that I was going to wake up, thinking this is my way to get out of this non-real reality,
I reached up and I grabbed them, and I pulled the levers,” he recalled.
No damages occurred
Fortunately, the other pilots intervened and stopped him before any real damage occurred.
They managed to restrain Emerson and regain control of the aircraft, ensuring that the flight could continue safely.
The plane landed without incident, and there were no injuries reported among the passengers or crew members.
Emerson faced legal consequences following flight incident
Following the incident, Emerson was taken into custody and later admitted to the authorities that he had consumed magic mushrooms before the flight.
In a statement, he expressed deep regret for his actions and acknowledged the gravity of the situation.
“I know what those levers do in a real airplane and I need to wake up from this.
You know, it’s 30 seconds of my life that I wish I could change, and I can’t,” Emerson admitted.
The authorities have launched a full investigation into the incident.
Emerson spent 45 days in jail after the incident.
He later learned he had hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD), which caused him to see visual disturbances long after taking the mushrooms.
While he initially faced serious charges, these were later reduced, and he now faces 83 counts of reckless endangerment.