Portland: A former Alaska Airlines pilot who tried to cut the engines of a passenger flight in 2023 while riding off-duty in the cockpit will serve no additional prison time, a US federal judge has ruled.

Joseph Emerson was subdued by the flight crew after trying to cut the engines of a Horizon Air flight from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco on October 22, 2023, while he was riding in an extra seat in the cockpit. The plane was diverted to Portland, Oregon, where it landed safely with more than 80 people on board.

Emerson pleaded guilty or no-contest to all charges against him in September as part of agreements with state and federal prosecutors. He wanted to take responsibility for his actions and avoid further time behind bars, his lawyer Noah Horst said at the time.

District C

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