Off-Duty Pilot Who Tried to Shut Off Engines Expresses Regret in Court NYT | Top Stories Michael Levenson 6 September 2025 at 06:44 The former Alaska Airlines pilot had consumed psychedelic mushrooms two days before the flight. Judges approved plea agreements in his case on Friday. © Jae C. Hong/Associated PressJoseph D. Emerson, an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot, was sitting in an extra seat in the cockpit during a flight on Oct. 22, 2023, when he tried to cut fuel to the engines, the authorities said.