From Flydubai To Germanwings: 5 Times Pilots Or Co-Pilots Tried To Crash Planes

What began as a routine flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv turned into a frightening mid-air ordeal on Wednesday after Indian pilot Capt. Smit Machchhar was attacked by his Omani co-pilot aboard flydubai Flight FZ1073. More than 170 passengers were on board the aircraft, which narrowly avoided a potentially deadly outcome after Machchhar managed to overpower the co-pilot, who attacked him with a knife.

According to Israeli officials, the co-pilot intended to crash the aircraft. During the confrontation, Machchhar was able to send emergency signals from the flight before opening the cockpit door. Passengers then entered the cockpit and helped subdue the co-pilot.

While the incident ended without a crash, it is not the first case in which a pilot or co-pilot has been accused of deliberately attempting to bring down an aircraft. Several such incidents have occurred over the years, some resulting in fatal crashes that together claimed more than 500 lives.

FedEx Flight 705 (April 4, 1994)

A serious cockpit attack unfolded aboard FedEx Flight 705 on April 4, 1994, when off-duty pilot Auburn Calloway boarded the cargo aircraft carrying weapons that included a hammer and a spear.

Calloway, who was reportedly concerned about losing his job, attacked the captain, first officer and flight engineer after the aircraft was airborne. He was alleged to have planned to crash the plane so his family could collect an insurance payout.

The crew, despite suffering severe injuries during the assault, managed to fight back. The pilots carried out a series of extreme aerial manoeuvres to incapacitate Calloway and regain command of the aircraft. They subsequently managed to make an emergency landing despite their injuries.

SilkAir Flight 185 (December 19, 1997)

SilkAir Flight 185 was en route from Indonesia to Singapore when it suddenly descended at high speed and crashed into a river on December 19, 1997. All 104 passengers and crew members aboard were killed.

Investigators found that the aircraft's flight recorders had been switched off and that the co-pilot had been locked out of the cockpit before the crash. The investigation concluded that the captain had intentionally caused the aircraft to crash, although the finding has remained contested.

EgyptAir Flight 990 (October 31, 1999)

EgyptAir Flight 990 was flying from New York to Cairo when relief co-pilot Gamil al-Batouti took control while the captain was away from the cockpit.

Al-Batouti disengaged the autopilot and put the aircraft into a steep descent. After returning, the captain was heard on the cockpit recorder asking, "What have you done?" The aircraft continued its descent and eventually crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 217 people aboard.

Germanwings Flight 9525 (March 24, 2015)

Germanwings Flight 9525 met with disaster on March 24, 2015, when co-pilot Andreas Lubitz intentionally flew the aircraft into the French Alps while the captain was locked outside the cockpit.

Lubitz had been diagnosed with severe clinical depression. During the flight, he locked the cockpit door after the captain left to use the lavatory and prevented him from getting back inside. Despite repeated efforts to regain access, the captain was unable to stop the aircraft from descending. The crash killed all 150 people aboard.

The Germanwings tragedy subsequently prompted changes to cockpit security procedures in some jurisdictions and airlines. One measure requires a cabin crew member to enter the cockpit if one of the pilots leaves, ensuring that two people are present inside at all times.