Plane diverted after 'authorized' employee in cockpit tries to shut down both engines in mid-flight
A regional West Coast airline had a close call Sunday night after an authorized employee in a passenger jet's cockpit tried to shut down both of the plane's engines.
According to The Messenger, flight crew members aboard Horizon Air flight 2059 were able to subdue a Horizon Airlines employee during a flight from Everett, Washington to San Francisco, California and restrain the person in the cabin while the pilot diverted the plane to Portland, Oregon. Alaska Air Group — the parent company of both Alaska Airlines and Horizon Airlines — wouldn't say if the person in question was a pilot or copilot, but instead referred to the employee as an "authorized occupant."
"The crew secured the aircraft without incident," the company stated. "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."
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No information was immediately available on the name of the employee or how many passengers were on board. The pilot can be heard describing the incident in a leaked audio recording from Live ATC.
"We’ve got the guy that tried to shut the engines down out of the cockpit and he doesn’t sound like he’s causing any issue in the back right now, I think he’s subdued,” the pilot told air traffic controllers. "We want law enforcement as soon as we get on the ground and parked."
Law enforcement reportedly met the Embraer E-175 jet on the tarmac after landing and the employee is in custody while an investigation is underway. Passengers aboard the plane were rebooked on other flights.
The website Airline Geeks reported that the flight was at an altitude of 31,000 feet when the employee attempted to shut down the engines. Jon Ostrower, editor in chief of aviation news site The Air Current, posted a statement to X from the Federal Aviation Administration.
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"Last night a significant security event occurred on a US Air Carrier involving a validated jump seat passenger attempting to disable aircraft engines while at cruise altitude by deploying the engine fire suppression system," the statement read. "The crew was able to subdue the suspect and was removed from the flight deck. The flight diverted and landed safely. The event remains under investigation by law enforcement, no further details will be provided at this time."
According to Airline Geeks, crew members authorized to sit in the jump seat (a third seat in the cockpit) include pilots, flight attendants, and dispatchers.
