A Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv narrowly avoided disaster on Tuesday after a co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain with a knife. Passengers and an off-duty British pilot worked together to stabilize the aircraft and subdue the assailant before an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
A 14,000-foot plunge in 29 seconds
Flightradar24 data indicates that Flydubai flight FZ1073 experienced a terrifying loss of altitude during the incident, plummeting 14,000 feet in just 29 seconds. As the aircraft struggled for control, it transmitted a general emergency signal using the 7700 squawk code while performing a U-turn over the border between Jordan and Saudi Arabia. the situation escalated when the plane briefly issued a 7500 code, which signifies unlawful interference or a hijacking.
The British pilot and Yaniv Hayun’s cockpit breach
An off-duty British pilot played a decisive role in preventing the aircraft from crashing after the primary crew was incapacitated. According to passenger Amol Itali, who spoke to the BBC, the British pilot entered the cockpit, pulled the yoke to stabilize the plane, and managed to land the jet at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia. This intervention followed a violent struggle inside the cockpit where Captain Smit Machchhar rpeortedly fought off his co-pilot despite sustaining serious knife wounds.
Israeli passenger Yaniv Hayun provided critical assistance by physically breaking into the cockpit to confront the attacker. Mr. Hayun described a chaotic scene where the assailant was positioned over the flight instruments and the pilots were unable to maintain control. After forcing his way through the door, Hayun applied a chokehold to the attacker and pulled him out of the flight deck, allowing the relief pilots to regain command of the aircraft.
Israel’s warplane scramble and the 'jihadist' label
The Israeli government responded to the hijacking attempt with immediate military and political mobilization .. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened an emergency security meeting with Defense Minister Israel Katz as Israel scrambled warplanes to intercept the Flydubai jet. The incident has been characterized by Israeli officials as a high-stakkes security threat, with Minister Katz describing the event as an "attempted jihadist terror attack" that was only thwarted by the intervention of passengers.
The Indian Embassy in Riyadh has confirmed that Captain Smit Machchhar is currently receiving medical attention in a hospital in Tabuk. The embassy stated they are closely following the health condition of the pilot, who has been hailed for his extraordinary bravery in preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster.
The unanswered motive of the Saudi-detained assailant
While the immediate threat has been neutralized, significant questions remain regarding the identity and intentions of the co-pilot. The assailant is currently being held and questioned by Saudi authorities in Tabuk, but his specific motives for the alleged "suicide mission" have not been released. Furthermore, it remains unclear how the co-pilot was able to bypass cockpit security protocols to launch such a direct assault on Captain Machchhar.
Comments 0