Flying High: Pilot who tried to cut in-air engine accused of eating magic mushrooms

An off-duty pilot who tried to turn off plane engines mid-air Sunday might have taken psychedelic mushrooms, according to multiple reports.

Joseph Emerson, 44, faces a federal investigation in Oregon after an outburst in the cockpit of a Horizon Airlines flight headed toward San Francisco from Seattle, the L.A. Times reported. Horizon is owned by the parent company Alaska Airlines.

A criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday reveals Emerson told investigators about his use of psychedelic mushrooms, the L.A. Times reports.

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His excuse, according to the Times, was that “it was his first time taking mushrooms.”

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“It is vague in [the complaint], but that is part of what [the] FBI is investigating,” said Joy Jiras, an FBI Portland field office spokesperson. “The FBI is investigating the timeline of his use of magic mushrooms. We are trying to figure out whether he was on them that day or whether they were in his system or not.”