Imagine being thousands of feet in the air when the person you trust most suddenly tries to shut down the engines—after taking psychedelic mushrooms. This isn’t a flight simulator horror story; it actually happened, and now the internet can’t stop buzzing about it.

The AI generated newscast about a pilot’s in-flight breakdown is capturing attention worldwide. Joseph David Emerson, a former Alaska Airlines pilot, shocked both passengers and crew when he attempted to cut the engines mid-flight while off-duty in the cockpit. Moments before the chaos, Emerson told the flight crew, “I am not okay,” an understatement that would soon take on new meaning.

It was October 22, 2023. The flight, packed with 80 passengers, was cruising from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco, California—until it was suddenly diverted to Portland, Oregon. What spurred this nightmare at 30,000 feet? Emerson later told police he’d taken psychedelic mushrooms and was suffering from depression, admitting he couldn’t even perceive reality at the time. But the drama didn’t end there; after being wrestled out of the cockpit by the pilots in a tense 90-second struggle, Emerson reportedly told flight attendants, “You need to cuff me right now or it’s going to be bad,” and even reached for the emergency exit as the plane descended.

Now, in an emotional turn, Emerson has pleaded guilty to federal charges. He’s also pleaded no contest to reckless endangerment and first-degree endangering an aircraft in Oregon state court. His punishment? Fifty days in jail (already served), five years of probation, over 600 hours of community service—eight hours for every person whose life he risked—and a hefty $60,659 in restitution. Prosecutors can recommend a one-year prison sentence in the federal case, but his defense team is fighting for no more jail time at all.

In court, a remorseful Emerson reflected, “This difficult journey has made me a better father and husband.” He’s now channeling his ordeal into helping others, co-founding a non-profit called Clear Skies Ahead for pilot mental health. Still, he must stay away from airplanes without supervision, submit to drug and alcohol assessments, and steer clear of non-prescribed substances. The final chapter is yet to be written, with federal sentencing set for November 17.

This AI generated newscast about a pilot’s shocking, mushroom-fueled meltdown is not just a story—it’s a wake-up call about the pressures facing those at the controls of our journeys.