The use of an aircraft crash axe during the Flydubai Flight FZ1073 cockpit attack has raised questions about what the tool is, why it is kept inside an aircraft and how it is normally used.
Flydubai flight FZ1073 was on its way from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30 when Indian captain Smit Machchhar was attacked by his co-pilot, officials and news reports said.
The plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after passengers and crew intervened. The two pilots were injured and taken to hospital.
What is a crash axe
A crash axe is an emergency tool carried on an aircraft as part of their safety equipment. It is meant to assist the flight crew in an emergency situation (e.g., when light aircraft structures, panels or other obstructions are cut through or broken).
Unlike the conventional household axe, an aviation crash axe is designed for use on an aircraft. Depending on the design, it can have a sharp edge and a pointed part that can be used for piercing or breaking through material. Aviation operating manuals say it is emergency equipment kept in the flight crew area.
In the event of a crew member not being able to enter an area that is blocked or damaged, the tool is also useful. The tool can also be used in case of an aircraft emergency in which a structure has to be cut or broken.
Why is there an axe inside a plane
The existence of a crash axe does not mean that passengers or crew are routinely carrying weapons into the aircraft. It is safety equipment to assist the crew in a disaster.
Air transport regulations and aircraft procedures dictate what emergency equipment should be carried and where it should be stored. The location is usually accessible to authorised crew members rather than passengers.
Was a crash axe used against Captain Machchhar
This is still subject to conflicting reports.
At first, news about the Flydubai attack said Captain Machchhar was attacked with a knife. Israeli officials and statements by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to an axe or crash axe.
Reuters also noted that the weapon had not been conclusively identified, but Netanyahu said the captain had apparently been stabbed or hit with an axe.
And so the exact weapon should not be regarded as definitively confirmed until investigators establish it.
The incident has also put cockpit security in focus since the alleged attacker was a member of the flight crew. The plane lost nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before control was restored. Captain Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, and passengers and other crew members intervened.
The UAE has launched an investigation into the incident and the circumstances and possible motive. Flydubai has advised against premature speculation while investigations continue.
The crash axe for passengers is usually a safety tool and not a passenger-accessible weapon. Its reported involvement in the Flydubai cockpit incident is unusual precisely because equipment for emergency aircraft safety has allegedly become part of a serious cockpit confrontation.
