As the United Arab Emirates’ civil aviation authority continues investigating the attack aboard the Flydubai flight, a central question remains unanswered: What weapon was used against the captain?

Some passengers described a knife, but another possibility has emerged in Israel — an emergency axe that may already have been inside the cockpit. There has been no confirmation that an axe was used.

Commercial aircraft carry specialized emergency tools, including a “crash axe,” designed to help crews respond to fires and other emergencies. If smoke emerges from behind a panel or interior lining, the axe can allow crew members to break through and reach the source of the fire.

The tool can also help clear blocked passages, break through damaged components and assist in an evacuation when normal exits cannot be used. Such axes generally have insulated handles to reduce electrical risks when used near aircraft systems.

These tools are kept accessible to crew members while remaining out of passengers’ reach. The cockpit is a common storage location because it provides a protected area where pilots can quickly retrieve emergency equipment.

That arrangement presents a troubling possibility in the current investigation: If the attack originated inside the cockpit, a tool intended to help pilots respond to an emergency could have been turned against the captain.

For now, the identity of the weapon remains unresolved. The possibility that an onboard emergency axe was used could explain how the attacker obtained a dangerous weapon without bringing one through airport security — but that remains a theory awaiting confirmation.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)