Off-duty pilot in jump seat attempted to shut down engines on Horizon Airlines flight

y_p_w

y_p_w

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Flight was scheduled for Everett-San Francisco. It made an emergency stop at PDX before continuing on to SFO. The statement from Alaska airlines make it sound like he was an Alaska Airlines pilot and not Horizon.

https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/QXE2059/history/20231023/0035Z/KPAE/KPDX

10 a.m. Pacific, Oct. 23​
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On Oct. 22, Alaska Airlines Flight 2059 operated by Horizon Air from Everett, WA (PAE) to San Francisco, CA (SFO) reported a credible security threat related to an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot who was traveling in the flight deck jump seat. The jump seat occupant unsuccessfully attempted to disrupt the operation of the engines. The Horizon Captain and First Officer quickly responded, engine power was not lost and the crew secured the aircraft without incident.​
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Following appropriate FAA procedures and guidance from Air Traffic Control, the flight was safely diverted to Portland International Airport. The jump seat occupant is currently in custody and the event is being investigated by law enforcement authorities, which includes the FBI and the Port of Portland Police Department.​
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All passengers on board were able to travel on a later flight. We are grateful for the professional handling of the situation by the Horizon flight crew and appreciate our guests’ calm and patience throughout this event.​

https://www.seattletimes.com/busine...s-to-shut-off-engines-on-flight-from-everett/
https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-...on-in-cockpit-tries-to-shut-down-engines.html
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/23/ala...-flight-after-security-threat-in-cockpit.html
 
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Dodgetracker said:
He’s done…
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Let me add that this Alaskan pilot is lucky to be alive. I am very serious.

If a jumpseater tried to sabotage* an airplane, I would fully support the employment of lethal force to end that lethal threat.

*A clear, unambiguous, and lethal threat to all on board, as well as those on the ground nearby, and if either of the crew had been armed (and many are, google the FFDO program), this could have ended quite differently.
 
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Not sure why there's a moderator edit for my original post. I posted two different FlightAware entries for Horizon 2059. The first one was for the PAE-PDX leg with the emergency landing. The second was a separate entry for PDX-SFO. The entries were different although I don't have access to the tail number. One of the stories claims that they changed to a different plane though.

https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/QXE2059/history/20231023/0218Z/KPDX/KSFO
 
Side note - at each freq change, these poor guys were asked for details. Not a pilot here, but the approach guy looking for info for his report would be low priority.
 
May have been a different outcome if the would be saboteur was a FFDO, I never knew of the service. I see no mention of psychological screening for FFDO's.
 
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twouvakind said:
May have been a different outcome if the would be saboteur was a FFDO, I never knew of the service. I see no mention of psychological screening for FFDO's.
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FFDOs go through a psychological screen and extensive background check. I don’t know where you are getting the “no mention” claim.

So do pilots, at least, at my airline.

As far is the rest, your fears are unfounded, but I prefer not to talk about some security issues and procedures in a public forum.
 
y_p_w said:
Not sure why there's a moderator edit for my original post. I posted two different FlightAware entries for Horizon 2059. The first one was for the PAE-PDX leg with the emergency landing. The second was a separate entry for PDX-SFO. The entries were different although I don't have access to the tail number. One of the stories claims that they changed to a different plane though.

https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/QXE2059/history/20231023/0218Z/KPDX/KSFO
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I wouldn’t be flying another leg if that happened to me. So, I’m not certain that the second leg is germane to the story.
 
Astro14 said:
I wouldn’t be flying another leg if that happened to me. So, I’m not certain that the second leg is germane to the story.
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I just heard (was in a different article) that the passengers transferred to another plane to continue. I thought it might be important in the investigation if they might have grounded the plane to inspect it. I believe PDX is an Alaska/Horizon hub.
 
I would be willing to wager a paycheck that this guy had some sort of mental break, perhaps enhanced by the use of what may have been a perfectly legal prescription drug.
Nobody taking should be using any psychotropic without being honest with the prescribing physician as well as having a full grasp of potential side effects and this guy may have been.
Wonderful that the flight was saved from disaster by its two pilots.
 
fdcg27 said:
I would be willing to wager a paycheck that this guy had some sort of mental break, perhaps enhanced by the use of what may have been a perfectly legal prescription drug.
Nobody taking should be using any psychotropic without being honest with the prescribing physician as well as having a full grasp of potential side effects and this guy may have been.
Wonderful that the flight was saved from disaster.
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Ambien has resulted in some pretty crazy things, although I understand that there's a minimum time before a pilot is allowed to fly.

I'd think some sort of mental illness happened, unless he really had a death wish.
 
This DHS PDF mentions FFDO candidates meeting with a psychologist. I stand corrected.
Screenshot_20231023-210935.webp
 
This sort of thing has happened many times on the air disasters show. The bad ones are where the pilot gets locked out of the cockpit.
No matter there still needs to be a way to get in there if someone does take control.
 
Astro14 said:
Let me add that this Alaskan pilot is lucky to be alive. I am very serious.

If a jumpseater tried to sabotage* an airplane, I would fully support the employment of lethal force to end that lethal threat.

*A clear, unambiguous, and lethal threat to all on board, as well as those on the ground nearby, and if either of the crew had been armed (and many are, google the FFDO program), this could have ended quite differently.
Click to expand...
Astro14 said:
Let me add that this Alaskan pilot is lucky to be alive. I am very serious.

If a jumpseater tried to sabotage* an airplane, I would fully support the employment of lethal force to end that lethal threat.

*A clear, unambiguous, and lethal threat to all on board, as well as those on the ground nearby, and if either of the crew had been armed (and many are, google the FFDO program), this could have ended quite differently.
Click to expand...
Astro14 said:
Let me add that this Alaskan pilot is lucky to be alive. I am very serious.

If a jumpseater tried to sabotage* an airplane, I would fully support the employment of lethal force to end that lethal threat.

*A clear, unambiguous, and lethal threat to all on board, as well as those on the ground nearby, and if either of the crew had been armed (and many are, google the FFDO program), this could have ended quite differently.
Click to expand...

Yes. Discharging a firearm in the confines of a pressurized cockpit while at altitude could have resulted in a different outcome.
 
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