Off-Duty US Pilot Tried To Shut Down Plane's Engines Mid-Flight

"We've got the guy that tried to shut the engines down out of the cockpit," the Horizon Air pilot said. "And he doesn't sound like he's causing any issue in the back right now.

An off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot who was sitting in a cockpit jump seat on a US commercial flight has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly trying to shut down the plane's engines in flight.

The Horizon Air Embraer E-175 was on a flight from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco when the incident occurred on Sunday, Alaska Airlines, the parent company of Horizon, said in a statement.

The plane, which was carrying 80 passengers, was diverted to Portland, Oregon, where it landed safely.