A new detail has emerged in the investigation into the dramatic incident aboard a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying the Indian captain may have been attacked with an axe.
Flydubai flight FZ1073 was carrying 174 people when the co-pilot allegedly attacked Captain Smit Machchhar during the flight on September 30. The aircraft subsequently went into a steep descent, losing nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds, according to Reuters. Passengers and crew eventually managed to overpower the attacker, allowing another pair of Flydubai pilots travelling on the aircraft to take control. The plane later made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
In an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu said Machchhar had apparently been stabbed or struck with an axe. The precise weapon used in the attack has not yet been conclusively established. Early passenger accounts referred to a knife, while the possibility that the aircraft's emergency crash axe was used has also emerged.
The crash axe is normally carried in the cockpit as emergency equipment. It can be used by flight crew to break through certain panels or windows and to gain access to areas during an onboard emergency. Its presence in the cockpit therefore does not, by itself, indicate that it was intended as a weapon.
The incident has raised questions about cockpit security because the alleged attacker was himself a member of the flight crew. Reuters reported that Israel plans to increase security checks on pilots operating flights into the country following the incident. Israeli officials said authorities want greater certainty about pilots' identities and additional security screening.
Captain Machchhar suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital after the aircraft landed. Despite being injured, he reportedly managed to resist the attacker and open the cockpit door, enabling passengers and crew members to intervene. The actions of Machchhar and the passengers have been praised by Indian and Israeli leaders.
The co-pilot, reported to be an Omani national, was arrested in Saudi Arabia and is being questioned as part of the investigation. Authorities have not yet established a definitive motive for the attack. UAE authorities are also investigating the incident, while Israeli officials have said they want to determine whether anyone else was involved.
Flydubai has cautioned against premature conclusions while the investigation continues. The airline has also suspended flights to and from Israel during the investigation.
For now, one of the key unanswered questions remains what exactly happened inside the cockpit and what weapon was used against Captain Machchhar. Investigators will have to establish those details through evidence, witness accounts and the aircraft's security and operational records.
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