Joseph Emerson , the former Alaska Airlines pilot who tried to shut down a commercial plane's engines midflight in 2023 while traveling off duty in the cockpit's jump seat, was sentenced Monday in federal court to time served and three years of supervised release.

Emerson, of Pleasant Hill, California, had pleaded guilty to the single charge of interfering with a flight crew in a September plea deal.

Without the deal, Emerson had faced a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Instead, prosecutors recommended a year behind bars followed by three years of supervised release. Emerson asked for time served and probation.

Emerson had also pleaded no contest to state charges of endangering an aircraft and 83 counts of endangering another person. For those charges, he was

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