Passenger attacks pilots with an axe! (Sentenced)

[Dash8100]

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.

http://www.airliners.net/discussions/general_aviation/read.main/1288577/5

[Mindthegap]

The D228 doesnt have a cockpit door, that is its always open - no way to close.

[flapsforty]

Police now saying it was not the crash ax, but an ax carried on board by the pap.

[wingman1]

I'd be interested to know what size the axe was to be able to get it through security. I'm amazed the other passengers didn't get him away quicker, i know that when i fly as a passenger i get twitchy just when people go to the toilet at the front of the a/c.

[Daysleeper]

I'd be interested to know what size the axe was to be able to get it through security.

Any size he liked as aparently there is no security at Narvik.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3700146.stm

[wingman1]

yeah daysleeper, but would the grim reaper have made it into the plane?!

[Ray Darr]

Latest from CNN, paraphrasing the TV report I just watched, is that both crew, plus 7 passengers, were taken to hospital with head wounds.

Hope the bastard that did this is found sane so he rots in jail.

[M609]

Norwegian TV just reported (police press conference) that the aircraft got as low as 100ft AGL before the crew restored control of the aircraft. (They where apparently supposed to be a lot higher a the time.)

Hope the casaulties recover from the ordeal.

The Axe (source: www.dagbladet.no)

http://gfx.dagbladet.no/nyheter/2004/09/29/oks2.jpg

Dagbladet allso claim that the accident happended 10 minutes prior to landing, and given the terrain in that area, a uncontrolled decend to 100ft is VERY scary. :sad:

[A-FLOOR]

Dutch news sources report the assailant is an Algerian asylum seeker who has previously been denied residence in Norway.

I guess he gets to stay in Norway after all. :ouch: :mad:

[M609]

The suspect was admitted to a closed psychiatric institution this evening after a medical examination.
He will be interrogated at noon tomorrow, his medical condition permitting.

Any aircrew want to comment on the prospect of flying pax in a aircraft with no physical barrier between cabin and cockpit. (Not counting the 1£ nylon curtain on the Dornier)

Security at Narvik is perhaps not the issue, when a crazy person armed with any suitable object, can storm into the cockpit at a critical point of flight, and start swinging? (Grab a glass waterbottle, seatbelt, sock w/sodacan, you name it) :cool:

[FinalVectors]

According to several newsreports tonight here in Norway, the aircraft did go into a spin from approach to ENBO at 8000 ft. while the pilots (and passengers) fought the highjacker trying to crach the aircraft.
The pilots did at the same time trying to recover from the spin. Luckely they did so 100 ft. AGL.

All my respect and honour to the pilots for saving a VERY dramatic situation while beeing injured themself.

[BOAC]

Whatever happened the crew (and pax) did extremely well. If that story is true they were absolutely outstanding!

[Captain104]

Dito :ok:

Regards

[teeteringhead]

Very well done crew and pax.

The suspect was admitted to a closed psychiatric institution looks like the asylum seeker found one! Sorry, couldn't resist that one.;)

[M609]

One of the crew, and one of the passengers appears on a NRK talk show at the moment.

Pilot says the attack commenced when the aircraft was on final, at aprox 4000ft.
They plunged to 100ft due to the Algerian pushing the controll collum forward.
Nose up pitch was gained with other means (perhaps trim/????) during recovery from the dive.
After the battle between the attacker and passengers, the collum was released, which resulted in violent nose up movement, with a climb to 1200ft, where the aircraft stalled, and nosed down again. The aircraft was subsequently recovered, and landed safely.

Both pilots lost their headsets, and was not able to establish contact with ATC during/after the incident.

[Anne.Nonymous]

So where are those who were so vociferous about having to lock the flight deck door or even having a strengthened door in the first place?

So this Do228 didn't have a door but I am sure there are a couple of pilots that wish that it had had one!

Anne :O

[Rananim]

Some very measured responses to an appalling incident.There really is no point venting frustration or anger anymore;not only should this maniac have been on a watchlist(Algerian and an asylum-seeker,what better reason for being on a watchlist?),he should have been escorted by an armed guard.
Perhaps you Euros can see why we want armed pilots/marshalls and why we divert/intercept a flight at the slightest whiff of suspicion.
I suppose that other maniac who had a gun on a Ryanair flight about two years ago is probably out of jail by now and enjoying benefits.

[M609]

Well put f40!

And today, It seems the tabloid rags have gotten hold of the timeline, and hint at having info from the radar recordings.
(Some genious in Avinor has released that info it seems)

http://gfx.dagbladet.no/nyheter/2004/10/02/flygraf_pano.jpg

From Dagbladet (http://www.dagbladet.no/nyheter/2004/10/02/410065.html)

[Zoner]

Over the last year I have dead headed on several European carriers and noticed the cockpit door left open on many of them for the entire flight. The most recent was on Iberia Seville-Madrid-Rome and the cockpit doors were open for the entire flight. When I asked one of the crewmembers about their doors being open I got the impression they view cockpit incursions as an American problem. It's one thing to say you don't want armed marshals but quite another to leave the door open for the bad guys. Sometimes lessons have to be learned the hard way. This crew was lucky.

[flapsforty]

Security checks that should have been implemented on all regional airports in Norway on May 5th this year, were postponed until the end of the year.
After last week's tragic happenings, improvised security checks have now been implemented country wide.
Calf/door or better late than never?

link to story (http://www.vg.no/pub/vgart.hbs?artid=247976)

[SLF3]

He could have achieved a much similar result with less effort by grabbing the steering wheel of a bus on a mountain road. At what point do the costs (both money and quality of life) out weigh the benefits of increased security? I'd suggest the absence of passenger screening at Narvik or Bodo would struggle to make it onto a risk register. At Hammerfest it would at least double the number of staff in the terminal!

[Flame]

Can anyone tell me was this PAX, being deported or escorted to another airport or was he a "regular Passenger" who just went mad

[flapsforty]

Hi Flame, how come you dug up this story from the backpages? The man who went berserk with the axe was an asylum seeker who had had the final negative decision from the Norwegian courts. He was on the verge of being deported, having already staid longer than he was allowed to.
This particular flight was not his deportation flight though.
It was an internal flight from one Norwegian airport to another.
Hope this helps?

[M609]

The prosecutor in Salten Police District (Bodø) has decided to charge the attacker according to §148 of the Norwegian Penal Law.

§ 148. Den som volder ildebrann, sammenstyrtning, sprengning, oversvømmelse, sjøskade, jernbaneulykke eller luftfartsulykke hvorved tap av menneskeliv eller utstrakt ødelæggelse av fremmed eiendom lett kan forårsakes, eller som medvirker hertil, straffes med fengsel fra 2 år inntil 21 år, men ikke under 5 år såfremt noen på grunn av forbrytelsen omkommer eller får betydelig skade på legeme eller helbred.

Basically, the part concering this case:

Anyone that cause an air-accident with loss of life, or substanital damage to property, or that conspire to do so, will be sentenced to spend at least 2, not more then 21 years in prison. Sentence to be more then 5 years in the case of loss of life or substantial damage to physical or psychological health.

21 years in prison is the longest sentence possible in Norway, for any crime.

[hobie]

Do you remember the story on PPRuNe about a guy running amok with an axe, aboard a small plane in northern Norway last year, almost causing it to crash.......

the guy involved now has 17 years to think about it!!! .....

from Reuters ....

"March 10, 2005
A Norwegian court sentenced an Algerian man to 17 years in jail on Thursday for running amok with an ax aboard a small plane in northern Norway last year and almost causing it to crash.

Bouteraa, 34, had argued he should be acquitted, saying he had been temporarily insane when he attacked and injured the two pilots on the Kato Air flight. The plane was carrying nine people including the pilots and Bouteraa.

Bouteraa said he would appeal.

The court ruled that Bouteraa was neither psychotic nor suffering from other mental illness, NRK public radio said. Bouteraa had said he was depressed after his asylum application had been rejected by Norwegian authorities.

Two other passengers overpowered Bouteraa and the pilots managed to land the plane with the cockpit splattered with blood.

Bouteraa denied he had planned the attack, saying he had a small ax in his bags because he had planned to go fishing. The luggage of the passengers on the flight, from the town of Narvik to Bodoe, was not checked.

The 17 year sentence matched the demands of the prosecutor who had accused Bouteraa of attempting a suicide attack. Norway's stiffest sentence for any crime is 21 years.

(Reuters)"

[Onan the Clumsy]

Well at least he'll blend in with the rest of the prison population. That should be a relief for him.

[broadreach]

Phew. Glad to hear this aircraft got back on the ground ok and somewhat sorry there wasn't time to, at the very least, hack both the attacker's kneecaps off.

"Fire Axe" though, takes one back to a time when passengers were only occasionally quirky and the captain was very much The Master. Old PanAm hands might remember and it was told to me by The Captain hisself, one of the oldest of the old Trippe gang. Flight deck was informed by cabin crew that a male passenger had become inebriated and was making unwelcome advances to the lady in the seat next to him, became aggressive when asked to desist or change seats. Situation going out of control for cabin crew, rescued by Capt M slouching out of the cockpit with fireaxe held lightly but conspicuously behind his back and, in best droll Philadelphian, asking male passenger to please behave. No further problem.

The Empire, in those days, could strike back.

[BUMPFF]

Fedex had an incident in the 1980s. A deadheading crew member did an axe job on both pilots. Luckily, the deranged crew member was overpowered and the aircraft was landed safely.

[Dash8100]

Just a comment to an old thread: the first officer from the "axe-flight" where also the first officer in the "lightningstrike-flight"! (both flights are in this thread.) Two very close calls, just in a year or so. If I remember correctly this first offiser got an international "pilot-hero-award" two years in a row. Apparantly he's the only one who have gotten two of these awards.

[TownshipDog]

The crash axe of the 228 is located in a recess in the bulkhead directly behind the co-pilots head. If there is no cockpit door it could be easily accesible to anyone in the cabin, although it is quite hard to spot if you dont know it's there.

[Dash8100]

Actually, it was an axe that the attacker brought onboard the plane himself. This was before 100% screening of passengers was introduced on even the smaller airports in Norway.

[M609]

Tell me the terrorists have not won!
The bill for the 100% screening at a regional (STOL) airport in Norway in approx. 5-10 mill. NOK a pice.
Having seen the rules the EU will implement in 2009, I'm thinking Osama is at the top of the podium...... :(
And the scary bit is, that the funds for security screening comes out of the buget for any planned flight safety programmes planned......
What is the main problem at the STOL airfields in Norway, terrorists or non-precision approaches in alpine terrain / short runways and winter conditions???

[dustybin]

security is a joke in every airport, the other day our flight deck went for a coffee and were taking ages when they appeared they explained that they were not allowed to take the coffee throught security incase they have a blade inside the cup. But on they same flight a pax asked me to get her bag down for her, she then got out her diabetic insulin and injected herself there and then. We were never told by dispatch about this being onboard, how the hell was she allowed it throught when we can't even get a cup of coffee throught:ugh: but i guess this is another thread altogether:oh:

[apaddyinuk]

Dusty, medicinal needles are allowed onboard and all they have to do is display a doctors cert to the check in staff or anyone else who asks. They do not need to advice the crew or dispatcher!

As for axes, well I know my airline has replaced them with jemmys in the cabin but still, they can pack a fair whallop!!! :ugh: