‘A true hero’: Netanyahu ‘salutes’ Indian pilot who stopped Omani co-pilot from crashing Flydubai plane | India News
NEW DELHI: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday praised Indian flydubai pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his bravery after he was seriously injured in a cockpit altercation that forced a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. Netanyahu met passengers after they returned to Israel and said the actions of Machchhar, passengers and crew had helped avert a major disaster.“My salute to the Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his extraordinary bravery. Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker — preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster,” Netanyahu said in a post.“He saved the lives of 174 people, including Israeli citizens and other nationals. I wish Captain Machchhar a speedy and full recovery. He is a true hero,” he said.
Indian pilot stable in Saudi hospital
The Indian Embassy in Riyadh said Machchhar was receiving treatment at a hospital in Tabuk and was in stable condition.“Our Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah have been following the health condition of Mr Smit Machchhar, the brave Indian pilot of Flydubai flight that was diverted to Tabuk today,” it said in a post on X.“A full update on his health is awaited but he is reported to be in stable condition,” the embassy said, adding that it was in contact with his family and Saudi authorities.The embassy said it would continue to follow up on his health and provide all possible assistance for his wellbeing.
Netanyahu meets passengers after return to Israel
Netanyahu met passengers after a rescue flight carrying around 180 people, most of them Israelis, landed at Ben Gurion International Airport.Describing the episode as an “extremely serious security incident”, Netanyahu praised the passengers and crew members who intervened during the flight. He said they had shown “exceptional resourcefulness and courage” and “saved many lives” by preventing what he described as a major disaster.Netanyahu also said the pilot accused of attacking the other pilot had been arrested and was being interrogated by Saudi authorities.
Passenger says he helped pull attacker from controls
Israeli passenger Yaniv, who was among those who intervened, later told Netanyahu that he entered the cockpit and found the alleged attacker at the aircraft’s controls.“When I went in, I saw the terrorist on the controls, between the two seats. There were no pilots in the seats,” Yaniv said, according to The Times of Israel.He said he pulled the man away from the controls and called on other passengers to restrain him. When he realised the aircraft was tilting sharply, Yaniv said he returned to the cockpit and pulled back on the controls until the aircraft began to level out.He said he knew what to do because “I watch Mayday”, referring to the aviation accident documentary series.“The plane started leveling out a little more, and then the pilot told me he was taking over from there,” he said.
Other passengers recount intervention
Another passenger, Tzika Manes, told Israel’s Channel 12 that he and two other Israeli passengers helped subdue the alleged attacker.Manes said his wife had heard screams and sounds of a struggle near the cockpit and alerted a flight attendant. He said passengers were thrown around the cabin as the aircraft lost altitude.The three passengers eventually restrained the alleged attacker using corded headphones, with the effort taking around 20 to 25 minutes, according to Manes.A doctor travelling on the flight also helped treat the injured pilot, he said.
Flight diverted to Tabuk, passengers flown back
The flydubai flight was diverted to Tabuk in north-western Saudi Arabia and made an emergency landing there.The passengers were subsequently flown back to Israel on a rescue flight. The Israel Airports Authority had earlier set up a dedicated waiting and information area at Ben Gurion Airport for relatives of those on board.Netanyahu’s office said the situation had been brought under control and that Israeli authorities were working to ensure the passengers’ safe return.
Israel scrambled fighter jets
Israel scrambled fighter jets after concerns that the aircraft could have been hijacked, according to reports citing Israeli officials.The incident prompted security consultations in Israel, while authorities maintained contact with Saudi officials over the passengers and the investigation.An Israeli official described the episode as a “severe disaster” that had been averted.
Flydubai confirms incident
Flydubai confirmed that flight FZ1073, travelling from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion Airport, had experienced an incident and landed safely in Tabuk.“Our teams are working closely with the relevant authorities,” the airline said.The airline did not provide details of the cockpit altercation.
What happened on the flight
The incident involved an altercation between the pilots while the aircraft was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv.An Israeli official told AP that one of the pilots was armed with a knife. Reuters reported that the co-pilot was believed to have stabbed the captain before cabin crew entered the cockpit.The captain and first officer were injured and taken to hospital, according to Tabuk airport authorities cited by Saudi state television.Netanyahu said the evidence indicated that one pilot had stabbed the other and apparently attempted to crash the aircraft.Publicly available flight-tracking data showed that the aircraft transmitted an emergency alert around two-and-a-half hours after departing Dubai and subsequently dropped sharply from about 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet within roughly a minute before making an erratic turn near the Jordanian border.
Security investigation underway
The circumstances of the cockpit altercation remain under investigation.Saudi authorities are questioning the alleged attacker, while Israeli authorities are examining the security implications of the incident and are expected to question passengers after their return.
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Transport minister Miri Regev asked Israel’s Civil Aviation Authority to investigate what she described as an alleged violation of the aviation agreement between Israel and the UAE. She also called for flydubai flights to Israel to be suspended.Israeli media reported that Machchhar was of Indian origin and that the other pilot was reportedly Omani. Those nationality details had not been independently confirmed by flydubai.Reports also said a second team of pilots in civilian clothes was aboard the aircraft and helped prevent one of the pilots from taking control, though that detail had not been independently confirmed.The investigation remains underway, with flydubai saying it is working with the relevant authorities.
