In October 2023, Joseph Emerson, a former Alaska Airlines pilot, attempted to shut off a passenger jet's engines while under the influence of magic mushrooms. Grieving the death of a close friend and initially turning to alcohol, he took the psychedelics before the flight. During the flight, he panicked and pulled the fuel cut-off handles, acting without realizing the severity of the threat. The plane was diverted safely, and Emerson was arrested. He plans to raise awareness about mental health issues following this incident.
I had no intention of crashing an actual airplane. I wanted to wake up. I was convinced I wasn't going home to my wife and kids.
Most consequential three seconds of my life. In the dream, in that dissociative state, I thought they were going to wake me up.
I mean, in the dream, I thought they were going to wake me up. It didn't wake me up, right? I was in reality.
You're not going home. You need to wake up. That's when I acted. I pulled the handles that were in front of my face.
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