Flying? The safest form of transport!!

"The Australian" newspaper is running this story today and the only real question it puts into my mind is... Is it really THAT EASY to switch off the power to an aircraft mid flight?  I have used my "Artistic Licence" to cut a little bit out to get to the point....

A SOMALI refugee slashed the pilot of an airborne New Zealand commercial flight and almost flicked a switch which would have caused the plane to crash, a court was told today.  Ms Abdille allegedly approached the pilot and co-pilot with a knife about 10 minutes after the plane left the northern South Island city of Blenheim for an hour-long flight to Christchurch.  She thrust a knife at the pilot and said, "take me where I want to go". The pilot's hand was cut. He said later, as the aircraft approached Christchurch to land, Ms Abdille reached forward and flipped a switch on an overhead panel which was close to two switches which would have turned off the aircraft engines.

Maybe if there really is such a switch within easy reach of any want-to-be Terrorist it should be protected by some high tech gadget like a locked door!!