Wounded Pilots Land Norway Plane After Axe Attack

[Renew Deal]

OSLO (Reuters) - An Algerian-born man attacked two pilots and a passenger with an axe on a domestic Norwegian flight on Wednesday in an unexplained assault that police said could be linked to his asylum status.

The pilots, who witnesses said were covered in blood from head injuries, managed to land the small Kato Air plane flying seven passengers from Narvik to Bodoe in northern Norway.

"I am going to crash this plane," said the 34-year-old man before attacking just as the aircraft was about to land, only 100 feet off the ground, according to witnesses.

Passengers said the attacker stood up without warning and walked to the open cockpit to attack the pilots. Some passengers screamed in fear but two others managed to overpower him.
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http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6368704

[Romulus]

1. how did he get an axe on a plane?

doesn't Norway have airport security? :shrug:

[Voltaire99]

2. Maybe he axed for it.

Sorry; couldn't resist. ;-)

[smirkymonkey]

6. Hahaha!

Beat me to it!

I think he had an axe to grind with one of the pilots. :silly:

[daleo]

3. A small domestic flight in the far north of Norway

Those tend to be pretty casual, I think. At least that's what I have heard in Canada. It might have changed in the last few years, though.

[demokatgurrl]

4. Why are pilots still keeping cockpits open?????? n/t

[TahitiNut]

5. On a seven-passenger flight???

What do you expect? Most of such planes don't even have solid walls between the cockpit and passenger/cargo space. Not in the US, either. (Notice that the story says "open cockpit.")

[Zerex71]

7. Yeah, but just think...

...they probably stopped the little old ladies with the toenail clippers. Dangerous people, them spinsters! Oh, wait, I forgot we're not talking about the US and their window-dressing known as the TSA (stands for Totally Standing Around).

Mike

[despairing optimist]

9. Right. I forgot my tweezers before boarding a puddle-jumper

Good thing I remembered to take my axe!

Only kidding. :-)

[OutInTheBack40]

8. If you Axe me the guy should be locked away for life

Some people just can't handle life as a free man.

[KitSileya]

10. Narvik is a very small airport,

who has until Jan 1st, 2005 to install security measures - however, the air traffic authorities are now considering immeadiate measures to strengthen security.

The man who went berserk is now in a psychiatric institution. He has applied for refugee status in Norway, but has been denied, and the authorites have been trying to send him back to Algerie. However, the man has burnt his identity papers, and refuses to give any indications as to who he is. It is therefore nigh impossible to send him home.

KitSileya