Joseph Emerson (right) said he was on psychedelic mushrooms for the first time as he allegedly tried to stop the engines of a plane in-flight (Pictures: Facebook/Joe Emerson)

An off-duty pilot accused of trying to shut down a plane’s engines mid-flight was allegedly on magic mushrooms.

Alaska Airlines pilot Joseph Emerson, 44, told investigators that ‘it was his first time taking mushrooms’, according to a criminal complaint unsealed on Tuesday afternoon.

Emerson said ‘I’m not OK’, then grabbed two fire handles which would have stopped the engines of a Horizon Airlines plane that was traveling from Seattle to San Francisco on Sunday, states the complaint.

He also told federal officials, ‘Yah… I pulled both emergency shut off handles because I thought I was dreaming and I just wanna wake up,’ according to the affidavit.

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Alaska Airlines pilot Joseph Emerson said ‘I’m not OK’ before grabbing fire handles that woul’ve stopped the engines of a plane mid-flight.