US District Court Judge Amy Baggio sentenced Joseph Emerson, 44, to time served and supervised release for three years a hearing in Portland, Oregon. Federal prosecutors had asked for one year in prison, while his lawyers had sought probation.
"Pilots are not perfect. They are human," she said on Monday.
"They are people and all people need help sometimes."
Emerson was subdued by the flight crew after trying to cut the engines of a Horizon Air flight from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco on October 22, 2023, while he was riding in an extra seat in the cockpit.
The plane was diverted to Portland, where it landed safely with more than 80 people on board.
After his arrest, Emerson told police he was despondent over a friend's recent death, had taken psychedelic mushrooms about two days earlier, and hadn't slept in over 40 hours.
He has said he believed he was dreaming at the time and that he was trying to wake himself up by grabbing two red handles that would have activated the plane's fire suppression system and cut off fuel to its engines.
Before Baggio announced the sentence, Emerson spoke and said he regretted the harm he caused to society.
"I'm not a victim. I am here as a direct result of my actions," he told the court.
"I can tell you that this very tragic event has forced me to grow as an individual."
He hugged his lawyers and shared a tearful embrace with his wife after the judge announced she was releasing him, saying his story "offers a cautionary tale worth telling beyond the confines of this case".
Multiple people spoke on Emerson's behalf at the hearing, including his wife, Sarah Stretch, who told the judge how the incident had impacted their family.
"I am so sorry for those that it's impacted as much as it has. But I am extremely proud to be here with this man today, because the growth that he has had from this terrible experience has not only helped him, but benefited all that surround him," she said through tears.
"I just hope people realise that it's not necessarily the mistake itself but how you respond to it. He has responded with courage, strength and demonstration of extreme resiliency."
Emerson had pleaded guilty or no-contest to all charges against him in September as part of agreements with state and federal prosecutors.
A state court sentenced him to 50 days in jail, with credit for time served, plus five years of probation, 664 hours of community service — eight hours for each person he endangered — and over $US60,000 ($A92,220) in restitution, nearly all of it to Alaska Air Group.
In their sentencing memo asking for one year in prison, federal prosecutors wrote: "It was only through the heroic actions of the flight crew, who were able to physically restrain the defendant and restore normal operations of the aircraft, that no lives were lost that day."
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