Tel Aviv [Israel], October 1 (ANI): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hailed the “tremendous act of heroism” by Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar during a mid-air cockpit attack aboard an Israel-bound Flydubai flight, saying the seriously injured pilot managed to unlock the cockpit door while “fighting for his life”, helping prevent what could have been another 9/11-style crash.
“I think what happened is a tremendous act of heroism that prevented another 9/11 style crash of an entire airplane,” Netanyahu said in an interview with CBS News, recalling the incident.
Netanyahu said the flight was heading from Dubai to Israel when one of the co-pilots attacked Machchhar.
“What we know is that this plane that was heading from Dubai to Israel, as they approached Israel, one of the co-pilots stabbed or hit with an axe the other pilot, an Indian pilot. The pilot who was hit, bleeding profusely and fighting for his life, managed to unlock the cockpit door, but the plane was going into a nosedive,” he said.
He said an Israeli passenger, who was sitting in row 18, rushed towards the cockpit after hearing screams and tried to open the door.
“When they heard the screaming, a passenger, an Israeli passenger sitting in row 18, rushed to the cockpit trying to open it. When the plane started to nose-dive, he was thrown aside in that area where the stewards are, the flight attendants are, and somehow he managed — there was a moment where I think they hit an air bump or something — and anyway, he had the opportunity; he went through the door, bust through,” Netanyahu said.
In the CBS interview, Netanyahu said the passenger then saw the attacking pilot attempting to interfere with the aircraft’s controls.
“He saw the pilot who attacked the other co-pilot between the two seats trying to jam the equipment, the flight equipment; obviously, it looks like he wanted to obviously bring the whole plane down,” he said.
The passenger grabbed the attacker from behind, pulled him back, and then took control of the aircraft.
“Grabbed him from behind, pulled him back, then, unbelievably, took the stick, pulled it back. This is not a pilot, this is a plumber,” Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu said he had met the passenger after the flight returned to Israel and asked him about his profession.
“I asked him, ‘What do you do for a living?’ Because I met him at the airport when he came then they all came back to Israel, and I said, ‘What do you do for a living?’ And he said, ‘Well, I’m, you know, I’m I unclog sewage clogs.’ And I said, ‘Well, you certainly unclogged a big one this time,'” he recalled.
Netanyahu said the passenger was joined by another Israeli and a member of the air crew, who helped overcome the attacker. Reserve flight crew members who had been travelling with the passengers then entered the cockpit and stabilised the aircraft.
“He was joined by another Israeli and one of the air crew; they overcame the attacker. And then the reserve flight crew that were sitting with the passengers came in, stabilized the aircraft,” Netanyahu said.
He said the aircraft was eventually brought down safely in Saudi Arabia despite damage to its rudder and tail.
“It was difficult to do because the rudder and the tail had been damaged, but they managed to stabilize the plane, bring it down in Saudi Arabia, and save the day. It’s incredible heroism,” he said.
Netanyahu said Machchhar’s actions were particularly remarkable given the circumstances.
“I don’t know how he did it. I, I have to tell you, I’m, you know, I’m a veteran of a special unit, I’ve been in tough places, but never like this. It’s incredible,” he said.
The incident occurred aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Machchhar was seriously injured after he was allegedly attacked by his co-pilot, who allegedly attempted to take control of the aircraft. Despite his injuries, Machchhar managed to unlock the cockpit door, enabling passengers and crew members to intervene. The aircraft was diverted and landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Flydubai acknowledged that “an altercation occurred in the flight deck” and said the aircraft “was successfully secured by on-duty FlyDubai crew traveling on the flight, who diverted and landed the aircraft safely.”
The passengers were subsequently flown to Tel Aviv on another aircraft.
Netanyahu had earlier praised Machchhar for his “unbelievable courage”, saying the pilot and passengers helped prevent what could have been “another 9/11”.
Machchhar is a seasoned pilot who currently flies as a direct-entry captain with UAE-based carrier Flydubai. He has more than 13 years of commercial aviation experience and around 9,750 total flying hours, predominantly operating Boeing 737 aircraft. Before joining Flydubai, he spent 11 years with Indian airline SpiceJet, where he served as a Line Training Captain.
Meanwhile, Flydubai will temporarily suspend flights to and from Israel as an investigation into Wednesday’s mid-air incident is underway, an airline spokesperson said.(ANI)