‘Mushrooms’ pilot to remain in jail after ‘trying to kill plane engines’

An off-duty pilot charged with 83 counts of attempted murder after allegedly trying to shut off a jetliner’s engines and down the aircraft, will remain in jail ahead of trial.

Joseph David Emerson, who claimed to have taken psychadelic mushrooms prior to the incident, waived his right to a preventative detention hearing at an Oregon court on Wednesday, his lawyer said. Mr Emerson was not present at the hearing.

The 44-year-old was arrested after the plane, flying from Seattle to San Francisco on Sunday, landed safely in Portland, Oregon, according to the local prosecutor’s office.

A preventive detention hearing, similar to a bail hearing, involves the judge in a criminal trial hearing arguments for and against detaining a defendant in jail pending the trial.

At the brief hearing on Wednesday, Mr Emerson’s lawyer indicated that the delay to the hearing was likely to extend past 30 days, requiring a signed waiver from the former pilot. The lawyer said he had not been able to get into the jail to speak to Mr Emerson, following his appearance in court on Tuesday.

Mr Emerson faces a total of 167 state charges – 83 counts of attempted murder, 83 counts of reckless endangerment and one count of endangering an aircraft. He has pleaded not guilty to all of them.

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