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The Omani co-pilot attacked Smit Machchhar in the cockpit while attempting to crash the aircraft.
Flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar attacked mid air.
What was initially believed to be a knife attack on a Flydubai flight has since been reported as an assault involving the aircraft’s own emergency equipment. According to experts, the Omani co-pilot used a crash axe to attack Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot who was reported to have prevented the aircraft from being crashed or hijacked.
The incident took place on Wednesday, aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073. The co-pilot attacked Machchhar in the cockpit while also attempting to crash the aircraft.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the co-pilot used the cockpit’s crash axe during the attack. The aircraft first transmitted Squawk 7700, the general emergency code, and later 7500, which indicates unlawful interference. The plane was subsequently diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.
President of the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) Captain CS Randhawa says, “This is basically a crash axe, which is part of the safety equipment in the cockpit of any commercial aircraft. It is primarily used to break open the cockpit door if it gets jammed after a crash. Now, this crash axe has been used.”
What is a crash axe?
A crash axe is a standard emergency tool carried on commercial aircraft. It is generally stored in the cockpit, within easy reach of the pilots. On some older aircraft, similar axes were kept in the passenger cabin, but these were moved to the flight deck after the September 11 attacks.
The tool has metal-cutting claws designed to break through or cut aircraft materialsincluding fuselage panels and aluminium structures, during an emergency. It can also be used to cut through live electrical wires.
At A Glance
The Omani co-pilot used a crash axe to attack Captain Smit Machchhar on Flydubai flight FZ1073.
The aircraft first transmitted Squawk 7700, then 7500, indicating unlawful interference.
The plane was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.
A crash axe is standard emergency equipment, mandatory on US aircraft with over 19 passenger seats.
The axe is used to break open jammed cockpit doors, cut aircraft materials, and access hidden fires.
In the United States, such equipment is mandatory on aircraft with more than 19 passenger seats. It is considered critical emergency equipment and is carried as a safety provision rather than as a weapon.
In the Flydubai incident, however, the same equipment was reportedly used to attack a pilot, turning an emergency tool into a key part of an incident that created a potentially catastrophic situation in mid-air.
Why is the axe kept on aircraft?
The primary purpose of a crash axe is to help crew members deal with situations where normal access is blocked. If a fire breaks out behind a sidewall, ceiling panel, lavatory lining or another enclosed section, crew members can use the axe to break through the material and reach the source of the fire. This allows them to apply an extinguisher directly to the affected area.
The axe can also be used after a crash or serious emergency. It can help crew members clear debris, cut through damaged structures or create an alternative exit if normal doors or escape routes are blocked. It may also be used to remove obstructions that prevent passengers from evacuating or stop crew members from reaching critical aircraft systems.
Why is such a dangerous tool allowed?
Aviation regulators consider the crash axe an important part of emergency equipment because of the situations in which it may be needed.
The reasoning is that the danger of not having the tool, particularly when dealing with hidden fires, damaged structures or blocked access, is greater than the potential risk of it being misused by crew members. The axe is therefore carried as part of mandated emergency equipment under international aviation safety rules. Passengers, meanwhile, cannot carry axes in their cabin or checked luggage. The crash axe found in an aircraft cockpit is part of the plane’s emergency equipment and is not considered passenger baggage.
Quick Answers
Ask News18The Omani co-pilot used the aircraft’s emergency crash axe to attack Captain Smit Machchhar during the flight.
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Shuddhanta Patra is an Indian journalist with about nine years of experience in covering national politics, geopolitics, defence, diplomacy and international affairs. Her reporting focuses on South As…Read More
October 01, 2026, 4:40 PM IST
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