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'I Want to Fly Again,' Says Pilot Who Tried to Crash Plane High on Mushrooms

Joseph Emerson faces more than 80 state and federal charges, including 83 counts of reckless endangerment.

The former Alaska Airlines pilot who tried to crash a plane while high on psychedelic mushrooms said he would "love to fly again" during an interview with Good Morning America, before adding "I don't know if that's an opportunity that's going to be afforded to me." On Oct. 22, 2023, Joseph Emerson attempted to shut down a plane’s engines mid-flight while in an apparent dissociative state after taking magic mushrooms “for the first time.” According to Emerson, a jail physician later told him that he suffered from hallucinogen persisting perception disorder, which can cause first time mushroom users to hallucinate or suffer from perception issues for several days. While he now faces more multiple state and federal charges, including 83 counts of reckless endangerment (that's one per person on the flight in question), Emerson and his wife told GMA they are working to raise funds for a non-profit focused on airplane pilots’ mental health.