The Alaska Airlines pilot who tried to cut off a plane's engine mid-flight, almost killing the 83 people on board, has received a light jail sentence.
Joseph Emerson, 46, was sentenced to time served and three years of supervised release in federal court on Monday. He previously pleaded guilty to the charge of interfering with a flight crew.
Emerson had attempted to shut down a commercial flight's engines midflight in 2023 as an off duty pilot in the jump seat of the cockpit while enroute to San Francisco.
After entering a plea deal in September, the pilot dodged a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
At the time, his lawyer Noah Horst said the pilot made a deal to take responsibility for his actions and in hopes he could avoid further time behind bars.
The father-of-two had taken psychedelic mushrooms days before the incident while on a trip with friends to remember his best friend Scott, a pilot who died years ago.
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