In October, off-duty airline pilot Joseph Emerson allegedly tried to cut the fuel to both engines of an airliner en route to San Francisco as a means of breaking a dream-like state following the ingestion of psychedelic mushrooms that he reportedly took as a means of self-medicating to deal with depression.
According to multiple media reports, Emerson said he had been dealing with the mental illness for years when he found himself riding in the jumpseat on a flight between Seattle and San Francisco. He stated, “I’m not OK” and reached up to pull both of the engine fire extinguisher handles of the Embraer E175. If not for the crew’s quick intervention, the action would have shut down both engines and turned the jet with 83 souls on board into a glider, possibly resulting in an accident. Emerson was removed from the cockpit and restrained by his request in the back of the aircraft. He allegedly told law enforcement that he had not slept in several days and was depressed over the death of a friend.
