A passenger (a Algerian in his thirties) apparently has attacked the cockpit crew of the small norwegian airline Kato air (
www.katoair.no) with a fireaxe which is part of the planes emergency equipment. The axe was taken from its place in an overhead handluggage compartment Other sources says that this axe is kept in the cockpit, only accessable to the pilots. This is supposed to have happened during approach into Bodo Airport (BOO). Reports of blood in the cockpit/cabin. "Somebody shouted; come help us!" Two of the passengers managed to pull the big man out of the cockpit, and to keep him controlled. One of the passengers says that the plane was moving about, and descending, only recovering "thirty meters from the ground". The pilots have been taken to hospital, at least one bleeding severly from the head. Not life threatning injuries. One of the passerngers is also injured. The attacker seems to have been taken away in a straightjacket, resisting the arrest. The plane is a Dornier 228. Link to norwegian papers:
http://www.dagbladet.no/nyheter/2004/09/29/409735.html
http://www.vg.no/pub/vgart.hbs?artid=247437
The plane departed Narvik Airport, a small airport that will not get equipment for scanning and safety checks before 1.1.2005. I don't suppose the Dornier 228 has a "bulletproof" cockpit door either? At least until recently, it has been customary for the main airline in northern Norway (Wideroe) to keep the cockpit door open during flight. I guess those days are over now.
Last desember a Dornier 228 operated by Kato Air was hit by lightning, causing the elevator to be inoperable. The pilots managed to fly the aircraft to the destination airport by using only elevator trim. The plane crashlanded at the very beginning of the runway, following a go-around.
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