Off-duty pilot accused of trying to shut off airliner's engines mid-flight said he took 'magic mushrooms' 48 hours before the incident, court documents say

The off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot accused of attempting to disable a plane's engines mid-flight told investigators he believed he was dreaming and had taken "magic mushrooms" 48 hours before the incident, according to state court records obtained by CNN.

Joseph D. Emerson, 44, attempted to cut fuel to the plane's engines while the flight was en route from Washington state to San Francisco on Sunday, authorities say. The quick actions of the aircraft's captain and first officer kept the engines from failing completely, the airline said.

Emerson told investigators he "had consumed 'magic mushrooms' approximately 48 hours prior to the incident on the plane," an affidavit filed by prosecutors states. He also said he had been awake for the last 40 hours, according to a separate federal court document.

Emerson told police he thought he was dreaming and believed pulling the handles of a fire extinguishing system - which cuts fuel to the aircraft's engines - would cause him to "wake up," state court documents say.

Emerson was riding in the cockpit in a jump seat, as is permitted for off-duty pilots, and a confrontation began when he reached for the fire controls, according to the documents.

As Emerson reached for the controls, one of the pilots "grabbed Emerson's wrists and (the other pilot) reported that they wrestled with Emerson for a few seconds before Emerson stopped and said he was okay," the documents state, adding "Emerson was not able to pull the handles all the way down before the pilots intervened."

Emerson had experienced depression and the recent death of a friend, the documents say. He said he was having a nervous breakdown and told the flight crew he needed to be subdued, according to a separate federal criminal complaint.