‘Seems this was a suicide attempt’: Expert on co-pilot’s alleged attack inside flydubai cockpit

The terrifying mid-air crisis aboard a flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv has triggered questions over pilot safety, cockpit security and the possible motive behind the attack.

However, aviation expert Sanat Kaul has urged caution, saying it would be premature to conclude that the incident was a terror attack or to speculate about the mental state of the pilot involved.

flydubai flight FZ1073, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30, was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after a violent confrontation broke out inside the cockpit.

The Indian captain, Smit Machchhar, was reportedly attacked and stabbed by his Omani co-pilot before the aircraft went into a sharp descent.

Passengers and crew eventually intervened, while off-duty pilots on board helped with the safe landing.

Speaking about the incident, Kaul said it appeared to him that the episode could have been a suicide attempt, but stressed that this was only an initial assessment and that the investigation must establish what actually happened.

‘...it seems this was a suicide attempt by a mentally disturbed pilot,’ Kaul said, adding that the Indian co-pilot sitting with him handled the situation very well.

Kaul also pointed out that such incidents involving pilots attempting to compromise an aircraft are not unprecedented.

He referred to previous cases, including an incident involving an Egyptian airline, while stressing that every case has to be examined on its own facts.

‘Let the inquiry take place first’

According to Kaul, the actions of the Indian captain have understandably attracted widespread praise, given the circumstances in which he was forced to respond to the cockpit confrontation.

The captain managed to help open the cockpit door despite being injured, allowing passengers to enter and overpower the attacker. The aircraft subsequently landed safely in Tabuk.

However, Kaul cautioned against immediately attaching a specific motive to the incident.

‘A full investigation will reveal what happened and why he attempted this,’ he said.

The incident is being examined by authorities, with Israeli officials probing the possibility of a terror-related motive. However, reports have also noted that the exact motive remains unclear.

For now, Kaul assesses that conclusions about whether the incident was driven by terrorism, a suicide attempt or another motive should wait until investigators establish the sequence of events and the reasons behind the co-pilot's actions.

‘It would be jumping to conclusions to make assumptions now. Let the inquiry take place first; then we can say what actually happened,’ he said.