Passengers rush to Flydubai cockpit as plane goes into a dive
Musaev said the captain was covered in cuts, particularly on his head and hands, and had lost a large amount of blood. An Omani official told CBS News that the assailant was born in Oman and holds Omani citizenship, although Muscat has not formally confirmed his citizenship.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday described the Omani co-pilot accused of attacking Flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar as “suicidal” and said he had undergone “Islamist radical indoctrination”. In an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu said the co-pilot was being interrogated. Fearing that Machchhar might die before help arrived, Musaev helped restrain the attacker, using headphone cords and plastic zip ties to tie him up. The identity of the flight’s co-pilot has not been publicly disclosed. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.
Flydubai Flight 1073 was in the air when a wounded captain battled his copilot as the aircraft went into a dive, leaving passengers to rush to the cockpit and help regain control of the plane before it landed safely. Despite being stabbed, the captain managed to open the cockpit door, helping save around 180 people aboard the Israel-bound flight.
One passenger says, “He tried to crash the plane,” referring to the Omani co-pilot accused of stabbing the Indian captain. Others can be heard shouting, “Get him out of there!” towards the cockpit while urging passengers to remain seated. Amid the chaos, another passenger shouts, “We need a doctor!”, while another voice can be heard saying there is another pilot on board.
Video footage showed passengers rushing towards the cockpit to help after the Flydubai flight’s co-pilot allegedly attempted to hijack the aircraft. In one footage recorded from a seat near the cockpit, several passengers can be heard shouting in English and Hebrew. A dentist and other passengers wrestled with the violent copilot as the aircraft plunged towards the desert, while a plumber took control of the plane.
Smit Machchhar was hailed as “a Hero” by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He told CNN that he found the attacker on top of Machchhar, stabbing him. He later praised Hayoun’s actions, calling him “a hero who has saved many lives. Hayoun was among several Israelis recommended for the Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism, while Indian Capt. Dr Shota Musaev, a dentist travelling on the flight, was among the passengers who rushed towards the cockpit.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warmly embraced plumber Yaniv Hayoun shortly after the passengers arrived in Tel Aviv late on Wednesday.
A senior Israeli official told CBS News that UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan personally informed Netanyahu that he expected Saudi authorities to transfer the co-pilot to the UAE. Following his arrest, the suspect was transferred to the United Arab Emirates. Israeli investigators have since been sent to the UAE to join the locally led investigation and help determine whether the attack was orchestrated by outside parties.