Crime · updated 35m ago · 2 min read
Omani Co-Pilot Stabs Flydubai Captain, Forces Diversion to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
Flydubai flight FZ1073 diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia after an in-cockpit altercation between pilots. The co-pilot, an Oman-born officer, stabbed the captain and allegedly tried to crash the plane.
How prominently named heroes are emphasised.
6 of 8 outlets skipped it: a TV show ('Flight Investigation') taught the passenger what to do.
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Same story, two versions
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927thevan
“Crew members and passengers from the front of the airplane took over and got control of the two pilots.”Read the original ↗
ABC News and 927thevan give broad, group-based heroism, while 6abc highlights a named passenger guiding the plane. Flydubai-led wording stays more cautious.
Cockpit attack and diversion
Flydubai’s cockpit attack unfolded on a flight bound for Tel Aviv, after an Omani co-pilot stabbed the pilot and the aircraft was forced to divert to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Capt Smit Machchhar told India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, that he made a “last push” to open the cockpit door as he fought for his life. Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to enter, subdue the attacker and ultimately stabilise the plane.
“I was fighting for my life. At one point, I realised that if I didn’t get up … then passengers would lose their lives.”
Relief crew on the flight helped land the plane safely in Tabouk, north-west Saudi Arabia, while Saudi authorities arrested the co-pilot and interrogated him. The Newsweek account said the attack occurred aboard FlyDubai Flight FZ1073, which was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, and it landed in Tabuk after passengers and crew restrained the assault on the captain.
Radicalization claims and vetting
Omani authorities barred the co-pilot from flying in Oman over concerns about extremist views, and multiple reports tied the ban to “radical ideas.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated the co-pilot had “underwent Islamist radical indoctrination,” without elaborating. The co-pilot was previously banned from flying by Oman over concerns about his reported radicalization, and the Wall Street Journal reported Oman did not share the concerns with other countries or airlines.
Al Jazeera reported that a FlyDubai captain described how he fought to open the cockpit door and save passengers, while India’s prime minister praised him for saving lives. The Al-Jazeera Net account said CNN cited a regional diplomatic source saying the suspect was excluded from training due to concerns related to adopting extremist views, before being assigned another role at the airline.
Investigation, passengers, and next steps
The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority said the Indian pilot Smit Mathechar returned with “peace to the United Arab Emirates” and was in good condition and receiving treatment. The UAE authority said investigations were ongoing by a team formed from members of the Public Prosecution specialized by order of the Attorney General of the Union, and it said it would not comment on details that could preempt results or affect the investigation. Machchhar was recovering in an Abu Dhabi hospital and Netanyahu said the attacker was to be sent back to the United Arab Emirates for Emirati investigators to establish any links with terror organisations.
“You have truly made the whole country proud.”
Modi praised the captain for preventing a “great tragedy,” and it quoted Modi telling him, “You have truly made the whole country proud.” Newsweek said the attack disrupted travel between Israel and the UAE, and it reported that Emirates flights to Israel were canceled following the attack, prompting repatriation efforts for stranded travelers.