Flydubai FZ1073 incident: Was Smit Machchhar attacked with a knife or crash axe? - The Indian Express

The weapon used to attack Indian Captain Smit Machchhar inside the cockpit of flydubai flight FZ1073 remains unclear, with conflicting accounts pointing to a knife or the aircraft’s emergency crash axe.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attacker might have struck Machchhar with an axe, adding another possibility to the investigation into the September 30 incident, The Times of Israel reported, while noting that crash axes are generally carried in aircraft cockpits for emergency use.

News agency Reuters, however, reported that it could not determine what weapon was used. Passengers reported seeing a man holding a knife while one of the pilots lay bloodied. A pilot working in the region but not for flydubai told Reuters that pilots could potentially have access to metal knives from meal service as well as a crash axe normally available in cockpits, Reuters reported.

From Dubai to an emergency landing in Tabuk, Al Arabiya English uses AI visuals to piece together what unfolded aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073. pic.twitter.com/ylDbeehqkO

The incident has raised a basic aviation-security question — how did a co-pilot gain access to a weapon inside the cockpit?

Pilots interviewed by Reuters said they undergo security screening and are generally subject to the same restrictions as passengers regarding weapons such as knives and guns. But the cockpit itself necessarily contains equipment that can be used in an emergency, including a crash axe.

A Dubai–Tel Aviv flight, an injured Indian captain, and the passengers and off-duty pilots who regained control. Investigation ongoing.

Plan view of the front of the aircraft. Positions are illustrative.

A confrontation breaks out between the two pilots in the cockpit.

Israeli officials say the co-pilot stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar, who ended up on the cockpit floor.

The jet drops nearly 14,000 ft in under a minute.

Despite his injuries, Machchhar activates the cockpit door release.

Passengers and a crew member rush into the cockpit.

Passenger Yaniv Hayun says he put the attacker in a choke hold and pulled him out.

Hayun says he grabbed the controls and pulled; two flydubai pilots travelling as passengers then took over.

The plane lands safely in Saudi Arabia. Both pilots are taken to hospital.

Sequence based on accounts from Israeli officials, flydubai and passengers; exact timings have not been made public. Figures are not to scale and positions are illustrative.

The co-pilot, the alleged attacker, was arrested by Saudi authorities, according to reports. Motives remain unknown and are subject to a formal investigation, flydubai says.

Sources: Reuters; flydubai; Flightradar24; Al Jazeera; Israeli officials; passenger accounts reported by JNS and Sunday Guardian; Indian Embassy, Riyadh. Photo: Reuters. Map: Natural Earth.

Eric Schouten, head of aviation intelligence consultancy Dyami, told the news agency that the airline is responsible for vetting people who enter the cockpit and that procedures vary between countries. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency said oversight of flydubai’s certification and safety rests with the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority, including requirements concerning flight crews and their fitness to fly.

According to Israeli officials and passenger accounts, the co-pilot attacked Machchhar during the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight. The aircraft then went into a rapid descent, falling nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds, according to Reuters.

Despite being seriously injured, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door. Passengers then entered, restrained the attacker and helped regain control of the situation. Two other flydubai pilots who were travelling on the aircraft subsequently took control and landed the plane in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Flydubai has confirmed that FZ1073 experienced an incident while flying from Dubai to Ben Gurion Airport and landed safely in Tabuk, but said its teams were working with authorities and that further details would be provided as they became available.

Flydubai has urged against premature speculation while authorities investigate the incident.