Alaska Airlines Flight 2059
N660QX, the aircraft involved, seen in September 2023 | |
| Incident | |
|---|---|
| Date | October 22, 2023 |
| Summary | Attempted suicide, subsequent emergency landing |
| Site |
|
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Embraer E175LR |
| Operator | Horizon Air on behalf of Alaska Airlines |
| IATA flight No. | QX2059 |
| ICAO flight No. | QXE2059 |
| Call sign | HORIZON AIR 2059 |
| Registration | N660QX |
| Flight origin | Paine Field, Everett, Washington, United States |
| Destination | San Francisco International Airport, San Francisco, United States |
| Occupants | 84 (including suspect) |
| Passengers | 79 |
| Crew | 5 (including suspect) |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Survivors | 84 (including suspect) |
Alaska Airlines Flight 2059 was a scheduled domestic flight operated by Horizon Air for Alaska Airlines that was traveling from Paine Field in Everett, Washington, to San Francisco International Airport on October 22, 2023 with 83 people aboard when an off-duty pilot deadheading in the jump seat of the cockpit attempted to disable the plane's engines. The Embraer 175 aircraft was operating at 31,000 feet (9,400 m) when the suspect, Joseph David Emerson, attempted to activate the emergency fire suppression systems on both engines, which would have cut the fuel supply and caused a flameout.
According to court affidavits, Emerson later told investigators that he hadn’t slept in 40 hours, had been depressed, had just suffered through the death of his best friend, and had tried psychedelic mushrooms for the first time to assuage his grief just 48 hours earlier. Believing that he "was dreaming" and wanting to awaken, he pulled both of the fire suppression system handles. The crew reset the systems, removed Emerson from the cockpit, and diverted to Portland International Airport in Oregon, where Emerson was arrested. He was later charged with 83 counts of attempted murder and other charges. He was released back to his California home on December 7, 2023, after posting a $50,000 bond.