Attempted Hijacking of an Alaska Airlines plane

A US airliner has been under an attempted hijacking on an Alaska Airlines flight

The Plane left Washington and was diverted to Portland Oregon after an off-duty pilot in the jumper seat of the cockpit tried to pull the emergency shut off for the airline.

An off-duty pilot riding as a passenger in the cockpit of an Alaska Airlines flight Sunday tried to “disrupt the operation of the engines,” forcing the flight en route to San Francisco to divert to Portland, Oregon, the airline said in a statement Monday.

The suspect, identified by police as Joseph D. Emerson, 44, was subdued by the flight crew and taken into custody by the Port of Portland police officers, the port said in a separate statement.

Online booking records show Emerson has been charged with 83 felony counts of attempted murder, 83 counts of reckless endangerment and one count of endangering an aircraft.

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