A Flydubai pilot overpowered a knife-wielding attacker in the cockpit and kept the plane flying — a rare good outcome in a situation that usually ends in disaster.

• The attacker got into the cockpit with a knife and the captain had to fight him off mid-flight.
• Aviation analysts say almost every cockpit attack like this ends with the plane going down and everyone on board dying.
• The captain also had to get the cockpit door open to push the attacker out, all while keeping control of the aircraft.
• The bigger question is how a knife got through airport screening in the first place.

Outlook: Expect pressure on airports and airlines to tighten passenger screening and cockpit access rules.