Investigation will examine aviation safety lessons from the September 30 incident, while the UAE pursues a separate criminal case
PRAVASISAMWAD.COM
Saudi Arabia has launched an air safety investigation into the cockpit attack aboard a flydubai flight that was forced to make an emergency landing in the kingdom last week, according to people familiar with the matter. The move comes alongside a separate criminal investigation by the United Arab Emirates.
Flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30, was in Saudi airspace when the co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain with an axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft. The plane suffered a sharp loss of altitude before passengers and other crew members intervened.
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The aircraft eventually landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. All passengers survived, while the Indian captain, Smit Machchhar, was seriously injured
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The Indian Embassy in the UAE said this week that Machchhar was making steady progress in his recovery
Saudi Arabia has notified aviation authorities in other countries that it intends to conduct the safety investigation under international aviation rules. Such investigations normally follow accidents and are designed to identify safety lessons rather than assign criminal responsibility. They are not mandatory when an incident is believed to have been deliberate.
The US National Transportation Safety Board has appointed a representative because the aircraft was manufactured in the United States. The UAE will also participate under international rules because the aircraft is registered there and flydubai is based in Dubai.
The UAE is separately pursuing a criminal investigation and has described the incident as a terrorist attack. The suspect remains in UAE custody.
Israel, whose citizens made up most of the passengers, has offered to participate in the Saudi-led safety inquiry but has not yet been formally invited.
The investigation could provide important lessons on pilot screening, cockpit security and procedures for dealing with deliberate threats from within an aircraft.
