Alaska Airlines Pilot Accused of Trying to Cut Engines Midflight Avoids Attempted Murder Charges

An off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot accused of attempting to shut down an airplane’s engines midflight avoided attempted murder charges after a grand jury indicted him instead on charges of reckless endangerment. The grand jury indicted the pilot, Joseph Emerson, with one count of endangering an aircraft in the first degree and 83 counts of recklessly endangering another person, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, in Portland, Ore., said Tuesday. The reckless endangerment counts are misdemeanors and the endangering aircraft charge is a felony, the district attorney’s office said.