US pilot who tried to cut engines told police he thought he was dreaming

Joseph David Emerson has pleaded not guilty and says he'd taken psychedelic mushrooms for the first time, court documents show

An off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot who tried to cut the engines on a regional jet mid-flight on Sunday told police after his arrest that he believed he was having a nervous breakdown, thought he was dreaming when he pulled fire handles in the cockpit, and that he had experimented with psychedelic mushrooms recently as his mental health worsened, according to a federal complaint made public on Tuesday.

Just before trying to cut the engines, Joseph David Emerson, 44, who was riding in an extra seat in the cockpit said: I'm not OK" and later told police he had recently taken psychedelic mushrooms, according to charging documents.