Friends and neighbors of Joseph David Emerson, the 44-year-old Alaska Airlines pilot who now faces 167 criminal charges, are stunned by his alleged actions, with one colleague suggesting a mental breakdown.
Joseph David Emerson, The Alaska Airlines Pilots Now Accused Of Attempted Murder
Earlier today I wrote about Emerson and what happened onboard Alaska Airlines flight 2059.
> Read More: Alaska Airlines Pilot Charged With 83 Counts Of Attempted Murder After Malicious Act In Cockpit
Emerson seemed to have a “normal” life:
- He lived with his wife and two young children in the San Francisco Bay Area in a $1.2 million, four bedroom home (quite average in Pleasant Hill, California)
- His front porch was decorated for Halloween, including the sign, “Free Flying Lessons. Inquire Inside.”
- His neighbors described him as the “perfect” dad, husband, and neighbor
- He often inited neighbors over for parties
- He never complained about his job or employer
For example, one neighbor told the UK Daily Mail:
“It is just really shocking, disturbing news. They are excellent neighbors. He is a fantastic father. He plays with the kids all the time. He’s very friendly. He’s just a great guy. He’s very understanding of other people. We have a son with special needs, and he’s very good to him. We just couldn’t imagine him doing anything to hurt someone.”
Flight attendants told passengers on Alaska Airline that a “mental breakdown” prompted the cockpit incident for which Emerson finds himself behind bars.
And isn’t that the sad thing? We hold our pilots to such high standards because we put them in control of hundreds of souls and a multi-million dollar piece of equipment? But pilots are human, not superhuman and when something goes wrong, even with all sorts of resources available that end up with job restoration, there is tendency to bottle up inside for fear of the consequences of candidly addressing the situation.
I don’t know what went on in the cockpit of AS2059 and frankly whatever it was, Emerson has forfeited his chance to ever return to the cockpit in a commercial aircraft. But even so, it sounds like something snapped and I truly hope that Emerson can now get the help he needs and that his family will stand by him during this time.
top image: LinkedIn
Agree he needs help and hope he gets it….behind bars. As for his family sticking by him, I wouldn’t blame his wife for taking the kids and leaving. This guy could have become one of the largest mass murderers in history. Mental breakdown or not, I wouldn’t trust him alone with the kids. His life is ruined, will be in prison for a considerable amount of time,
She and the children deserve a better life than this.
And the well-informed experts come trotting out.
So do you trolls
Are you defending him? Wow, wouldn’t have expected this from you. He needs to rot in Gitmo….period.
I’m not defending him, I’m mocking you for being a know-it-all, despite knowing no more about what happened than what you read in the news and passing judgement.
Mental health pandemic is at its peak in this country. Just spend a day at any airport in the US watching people. You will be shocked withthe amount of weirdos you will see out there.
Turns out this guy was ‘shrooming – his first experience with psychedelics. He just shared this info with the cops and it’s now being reported.
Sound judgement there, Captain Emerson! (Or should I say, former-captain…)
Flying while tripping. What could possibly go wrong?
Key mistake he made – taking “shrooms” before a flight, and for the first time no less. The culture of drug normalization needs to be brought back from the edge.
Now reporting he also had not slept in 40 hours. And on his way to work.
Spot on! As a f/a with 45 plus years with a major air carrier, i see lots of people on the edge, especially domestically. I’ve been lucky enough not to have passengers going nutso on our aircraft. Thank god i fly international routes, where passengers are certainly more civil to those around them and also to crew members. I feel for his family. I can only imagine what his wife is going through. Kudos to the pilots and f/a’s for getting this plane safely on the ground!
He was also a lefty anti trumper given his social media presence. Left wing people have double the mental issues of normal people. TDS finally broke him probably.
Citation?
He probably has none.
There’s plenty.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/341609819_Mental_Illness_and_the_Left
https://nypost.com/2023/05/25/left-wing-extremism-linked-to-psychopathy-narcissism-study/
https://summit.news/2020/02/12/survey-finds-people-who-identify-as-left-wing-more-likely-to-have-been-diagnosed-with-a-mental-illness/
LOL…that’s funny…..using the New York Post as a ‘source’ for your misinformation. You idiots just don’t want to grow up and live in the real world do you? Just in your little misinformed pathetic bubble of chaos. You’re not interested in getting anything done….that would require work, and thinking. To things you are not interested in nor are you capable of doing.
Truly pathetic….and oh so easy simple.
There are two other sources as well and the ny post cited their article. Attacking a source bcause you can argue the content is a typical response from the emotional left.
When you grow up you might have some self awareness otherwise your reaction proves the point you people are mentally ill. Your entire ideology is based on feelings.
Isn’t the NYPost a cheap scandal rag on it’s best day?
Disgusting that you would try to make this about your Cheeto-looking idol.
He’s actually referred to as PRESIDENT Trump. Something that can’t be said for that bitch hillary clinton.
Either way my bringing this up is justified as it it’s another example of the dangers of the left emotional ideology based on nothing but grievances and distractions.
You mean Senator Clinton, I presume.
Wrong. There is only one president and that is one President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. If you want to give a honorific title to the Mango Mussolini, it would be FORMER President. Personally, I prefer ACCUSED FELON or DEFENDANT
Crying about it doesn’t change the fact he was president.
Actually, I believe the correct address would be the twice impeached multi-federally indicted rapist former president of the United States.
Within a year you can add ‘multi-convicted incarcerated felon & bankrupt’ somewhere in there.
He’s your guy….and you and his followers deserve him and everything he brings.
And that guy is currently beating the fake, illegitimate pretender Joe “Stinkyfingers McSpongebrain” Biden in the polls, and all that despite the inquisition.
I cannot believe it to see your rage when he’s re-elected for the THIRD time.
Are you talking about clinton?
Also a disproportionately large amount of democrats/leftists are pedophiles.
easy there snowflake your insecurities are showing
Here come the projections from the party of groomers and terrorist apologists.
The facts and your reactions prove me right. Get mental help.
Incels count as snowflakes?
I am not convinced that he “snapped”. I suspect he has a long history of being impulsive. I am curious if there was a physical struggle in the cockpit. Maybe not.
Tough situation with the exposure, part of me likes the way Germany handles things where the accused are kept in privacy
Wife is attractive, into health/fitness
I think you mean “invited”, not “inited”.
E175 has 76 seats. If there were 84 people on the plane, likely there were 3 lap children. I suspect he was tied with a zip tie and sat in a FA seat.
I suspect he pulled the two levers, the pilots undid it and forced him out of the cockpit with little or any fight. Other passengers didn’t realize anything happened. Emerson did not put up a savage fight like the FedEx flight years earlier.
Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. There are very few if zero resources for pilot mental health issues that are not potentially career ending thanks to career bureaucratic Doctors and outdated medical standards in OKC. (The FAA) Check out this link to make change happen and contact your representatives and ask them to reform the FAA medical standards:
https://www.change.org/p/the-pilot-s-pandemic-and-the-urgent-need-for-aeromedical-reform
can it be that the captain and first officer falsely accused him of this crime may due to some previous argument? you never know if that actually happened when the only eye witnesses were the pilots …
So sad.
What did this pilot do? Did he try to crash the plane? he should be fired if he was doing drugs but trying to purposely crash the plane he should go to jail with no possible parole date.
Human behavior is complicated. First of all, a complete Health physical and Mental Health assessment of all pilots should be mandatory. Including social life, habits, and who they are outside of their flying career. The Department of Homeland Security does this on you when you apply for Global Entry by the way. This sounds intrusive but their private lives need to be known at the risk of being responsible for hundreds of people.
….But, you can’t always know for sure. The guy who has everything could also be a serial killer.
I just wonder if the pilot been from different country or religion, what the headline be?
Did this pilot invoke his religion as the reason for trying to cut the engines?
If he was Muslim he would have probably been commiting terrorism like we just saw In Israel.
Christians and Jews do r commit terrorism. But nice attempt at presenting your victim complex
he has a very pointy nose….