PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Joseph Emerson, the off-duty pilot who tried to stop a plane mid-flight, was convicted Friday on 83 counts of reckless endangering another person in a Multnomah County Circuit Court as well as one felony charge of first-degree endangering an aircraft.

Emerson had previously pleaded not guilty for the incident, but then pleaded guilty in federal court and no contest in an Oregon court on Friday. He was sentenced to 50 days in jail, including credit for time served, and five years’ probation.

He will also spend 664 hours in community service eight hours for each person on the plane with him.

The two change-of-plea hearings come as Emerson reportedly decided to take responsibility for his actions on the flight in October 2023, according to his attorney.

Emerson was flying from San Francisco to Everett, Wash. when he attempted to shut off the plane’s engine, according to court documents. The flight made an emergency landing at Portland International Airport, where Emerson was taken into custody.

According to court documents, he told officers that he was experiencing a mental health crisis and had not slept in 40 hours. He also said he consumed psychedelic mushrooms 48 hours earlier.

Emerson previously pleaded not guilty to all charges, but that changed Friday.

During his federal hearing, he waived his right to a grand jury indictment and pleaded guilty to a single count of interfering with flight crew members and attendants. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

The government recommended a sentence of 12 months’ incarceration and a term of supervised release. Emerson agreed to pay restitution of at least $59,608.25, with the possibility of it being satisfied through a single payment.

The federal court accepted his guilty plea and scheduled sentencing for Nov. 17.

Emerson also pleaded no-contest to the state charge in a Multnomah County court. In this case, a no-contest plea has the same legal effect as a guilty plea.

By entering the new plea deals, Attorney Noah Horst said Emerson hopes to avoid further time behind bars.

Emerson was released from custody in December 2023 and allowed to return home while awaiting trial. He spoke out about his experience in the 2024 New York Times documentary, “Learn to Fly.”

Part of Emerson’s sentencing permits that half of the 664 hours he must complete in community service can be done through his own non-profit organization, Clear Skies Ahead, which aims to help improve mental health in the aviation industry.

Allison Snyder and her husband were aboard flight 2059, and she said she doesn’t think the sentencing was tough enough on Emerson.

“My husband and I are neither judge nor jury, but the consequences proposed today seem insufficient,” Snyder said. “I believe that any passenger behaving this way would be placed on a no-fly list.”

As part of his plea, Emerson is never allowed to board a plane again, except when he’s gotten prior written approval.

Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez acknowledged the need for better access to mental health treatment in our society.

“We do need to see a cultural shift in, in how we treat mental health and how, how we, we accept that in our society, and certainly for pilots and for professionals in which we entrust our lives to,” Vasquez said.

Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney Eric Pickard shared the following statement:

“What Joseph Emerson did was reckless, selfish, and criminal. We should remember how close he came to ruining the lives of not just the 84 people aboard Flight 2059, but all of their family members and friends as well. Joseph Emerson is now a convicted felon, has 83 convictions for recklessly endangering, and will be on formal probation for 60 months. Additionally, he has been ordered to perform 664 hours of community service and sentenced to 50 days jail with CTS. With this sentence, we aim to hold Joseph Emerson accountable for his choices, his conduct, and his betrayal to his duty as a pilot.

Airline pilots have tremendous responsibility. When something goes wrong at 30,000 feet, you better hope you have a competent, composed, and courageous flight crew to handle it. Fortunately for the passengers of Flight 2059, Capt. Emil Riemer and First Officer Alan Koizol were manning the flightdeck. And when Joseph Emerson, who was deadheading in the cockpit jump seat, suddenly attempted to activate the fire suppression handles and stop fuel from getting to the engines, the pilots jumped to action to stop him. Their swift reaction prevented what could have been a horrendous tragedy and they saved the lives of 84 people, including 11 children. The State of Oregon is grateful for Capt. Riemer and First Ofc. Koizol’s heroism.”

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