Alaska
Off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot who tried to crash plane midflight in magic mushrooms trip dodges additional prison time
A former off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot who tried to crash a San Francisco-bound flight by shutting off the engines while on a sleepless bender fueled by psycahdelic mushrooms won’t serve any additional prison time, a federal judge ruled.
Joseph Emerson was sentenced Monday to time served and three years’ supervised release by US District Court Judge Amy Baggio in Portland, Oregon — dodging a year of prison time sought by federal prosecutors.
“Pilots are not perfect. They are human,” Baggio said. “They are people, and all people need help sometimes.”
Emerson was subdued by the flight crew aboard a Horizon flight from Everett, Washington to San Francisco on Oct. 22, 2023, after trying to cut the engines while riding off-duty in the cockpit.
He told police that he was grieving his friend and had taken psychedelic mushrooms two days earlier and hadn’t slept in over 40 hours when he tried to pull the hijinx on the flight with over 80 passengers on board.
Emerson recalled believing he was dreaming and tried to wake up by grabbing two red handles that could have activated the fire suppression system and cut fuel to the engines.
Had he been successful, he would have immediately cut off the flow of fuel to the engines.
The flight was diverted and landed in Portland after the harrowing ordeal.
His attorney, Ethan Levi, described Emerson’s actions as “a product of untreated alcohol use disorder.” The distressed pilot had been drinking and accepted mushrooms “because of his lower inhibitions.”
Emerson spent 46 days in jail and was released pending his trial in Dec. 2023, with the court ordering him to stay sober from drugs and alcohol, undergo mental health services, and stay away from aircraft.
He went to treatment after jail and has been sober since, Levi said.
Before he was sentenced, Emerson said he regretted the harm he caused.
“I’m not a victim. I am here as a direct result of my actions,” Emerson told the court. “I can tell you that this very tragic event has forced me to grow as an individual.”
His wife, Sarah Stretch, also told the courtroom that she was proud of how her husband had grown since the incident.
“I am so sorry for those that it’s impacted as much as it has,” Stretch said.
One of the pilots aboard the Horizon Air flight, Alan Koziol, recalled not believing that Emerson had been trying to hurt anyone by reaching to cut the engines, and that he seemed “more like a trapped animal than a man in control of his faculties,” he recalled.
Kozial maintained that while pilots bear an “immense responsibility,” the aviation industry should allow pilots more freedom to seek mental health care.
Geoffrey Barrow, assistant US attorney in the district of Oregon, said Emerson’s actions were serious and that the crew “saved the day by intervening.”
“There were 84 people on that plane who could have lost their lives,” he said.
A passenger aboard the flight, Alison Snyder, told the courtroom over the phone that she and her husband will never feel safe flying again after Emerson pulled the near-catastrophic maneuver.
“Because of Joseph Emerson’s actions that day, we will never feel as safe flying as we once did,” she said.
Emerson pleaded guilty in September to all charges against him as part of an agreement with prosecutors.
He faced federal charges of interfering with a flight crew. A state indictment in Oregon separately charged him with 83 counts of endangering another person and one count of endangering an aircraft.
On the state level, he was sentenced to 50 days in jail, with credit for time served, and five years of probation.
The state court also ordered him to complete 664 hours of community service, half of which he can serve at his own pilot health nonprofit, “Clear Skies Ahead.”
He will additionally shell out $60,000 in restitution, mostly to Alaska Air Group, and abide by provisions on drugs, alcohol, mental health treatment, and avoiding aircraft, the state ordered.
With Post wires.
Alaska
National Native helpline for domestic violence and sexual assault to open Alaska-specific service
Alaska
Dozens of vehicle accidents reported, Anchorage after-school activities canceled, as snowfall buries Southcentral Alaska
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Up to a foot of snow has fallen in areas across Southcentral as of Tuesday, with more expected into Wednesday morning.
All sports and after-school activities — except high school basketball and hockey activities — were canceled Tuesday for the Anchorage School District. The decision was made to allow crews to clear school parking lots and manage traffic for snow removal, district officials said.
“These efforts are critical to ensuring schools can safely remain open [Wednesday],” ASD said in a statement.
The Anchorage Police Department’s accident count for the past two days shows there have been 55 car accidents since Monday, as of 9:45 a.m. Tuesday. In addition, there have been 86 vehicles in distress reported by the department.
The snowfall — which has brought up to 13 inches along areas of Turnagain Arm and 12 inches in Wasilla — is expected to continue Tuesday, according to latest forecast models. Numerous winter weather alerts are in effect, and inland areas of Southcentral could see winds up to 25 mph, with coastal areas potentially seeing winds over 45 mph.
Some areas of Southcentral could see more than 20 inches of snowfall by Wednesday, with the Anchorage and Eagle River Hillsides, as well as the foothills of the Talkeetna Mountain, among the areas seeing the most snowfall.
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Alaska
Yundt Served: Formal Charges Submitted to Alaska Republican Party, Asks for Party Sanction and Censure of Senator Rob Yundt
On January 3, 2026, Districts 27 and 28 of the Alaska Republican Party received formal charges against Senator Rob Yundt pursuant to Article VII of the Alaska Republican Party Rules.
According to the Alaska Republican Party Rules: “Any candidate or elected official may be sanctioned or censured for any of the following
reasons:
(a) Failure to follow the Party Platform.
(b) Engagement in any activities prohibited by or contrary to these rules or RNC Rules.
(c) Failure to carry out or perform the duties of their office.
(d) Engaging in prohibited discrimination.
(e) Forming a majority caucus in which non-Republicans are at least 1/3 or more of the
coalition.
(f) Engaging in other activities that may be reasonably assessed as bringing dishonor to
the ARP, such as commission of a serious crime.”
Party Rules require the signatures of at least 3 registered Republican constituents for official charges to be filed. The formal charges were signed by registered Republican voters and District N constitutions Jerad McClure, Thomas W. Oels, Janice M. Norman, and Manda Gershon.
Yundt is charged with “failure to adhere and uphold the Alaska Republican Party Platform” and “engaging in conduct contrary to the principles and priorities of the Alaska Republican Party Rules.” The constituents request: “Senator Rob Yundt be provided proper notice of the charges and a full and fair opportunity to respond; and that, upon a finding by the required two-thirds (2/3) vote of the District Committees that the charges are valid, the Committees impose the maximum sanctions authorized under Article VII.”
If the Party finds Yundt guilty of the charges, Yundt may be disciplined with formal censure by the Alaska Republican Party, declaration of ineligibility for Party endorsement, withdrawal of political support, prohibition from participating in certain Party activities, and official and public declaration that Yundt’s conduct and voting record contradict the Party’s values and priorities.
Reasons for the charges are based on Yundt’s active support of House Bill 57, Senate Bill 113, and Senate Bill 92. Constituents who filed the charges argue that HB 57 opposes the Alaska Republican Party Platform by “expanding government surveillance and dramatically increasing education spending;” that SB 113 opposes the Party’s Platform by “impos[ing] new tax burdens on Alaskan consumers and small businesses;” and that SB 92 opposes the Party by “proposing a targeted 9.2% tax on major private-sector energy producer supplying natural gas to Southcentral Alaska.” Although the filed charges state that SB 92 proposes a 9.2% tax, the bill actually proposes a 9.4% tax on income from oil and gas production and transportation.
Many Alaskan conservatives have expressed frustration with Senator Yundt’s legislative decisions. Some, like Marcy Sowers, consider Yundt more like “a tax-loving social justice warrior” than a conservative.
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