Alaska Airlines pilot indicted on multiple charges for mid-flight engine shutdown attempt

An off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot, Joseph David Emerson, has been indicted on 83 misdemeanor counts of recklessly endangering another person and one felony count of first-degree endangering aircraft after allegedly attempting to shut off the engines of a passenger jet during a flight. Emerson, who claimed to be under the influence of "magic mushrooms" and struggling with depression and lack of sleep, was initially charged with 83 counts of attempted murder. He is also facing a separate federal charge of interfering with flight crew members and attendants. The incident occurred during a flight from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco, but Emerson was subdued by other pilots and the plane landed safely in Portland.