(TheConservativeTimes.org) – According to reports, airline authorities revealed that an aircraft departing from Washington state en route to San Francisco was rerouted to Portland, Oregon, due to a security threat on Sunday.
After trying to shut down the engines on the aircraft while it was in flight, a man, later revealed to be Joseph David Emerson, an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot, was detained and charged with murder attempts.
Alaska Airlines stated that the crew safely secured the aircraft. There were no reported injuries. The FBI is conducting an investigation and has assured the public that there is no imminent danger to anyone.
A high-ranking law enforcement official has verified that they have found no evidence of a terrorist link.
A report shows police at the Port of Portland detained 44-year-old Joseph David Emerson, who was later booked into the Multnomah County Jail on 167 charges, comprising 83 counts of attempting to commit murder, 83 acts of endangerment, and one case of endangering an aircraft, according to online jail records.
An audio clip of the conversation can be heard of the working pilot informing air traffic controllers in Portland that a person attempted to turn off the plane’s engines in the cockpit, and he needed the police to arrive immediately as they landed.
The FAA said that law enforcement agencies are still investigating the incident, and no additional information would be released.
A report shows former NTSB head and retired airline pilot Robert Sumwalt explained that a person sitting in the cockpit’s jumpseat could just reach up and grasp something to shut down the plane’s engines.
Ex-FBI senior assistant director of intelligence Joshua Skule told a media outlet that all of Emerson’s electronic devices, including social media accounts, would be searched.
An ABC News reporter looked into his history to see whether there were any red flags in Emerson’s past that might have led to the near-miss in the cockpit.
A background check turned up no arrests. Emerson was hired as a pilot for Alaska Airlines in 2016. He has two young boys and is married.
The report revealed one of his neighbors said he never complained about work or anything related. Another neighbor remarked they couldn’t see him ever doing anything malicious.
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