Crime · updated 9m ago · 2 min read
Benjamin Netanyahu Says Omani Flydubai Co-Pilot Stabbed Captain, Tried To Crash Dubai-Tel Aviv Flight
A pilot stabbed the other and allegedly tried to crash the Flydubai flight. Passengers and crew subdued the attacker, enabling a safe diversion to Tabuk.
479 outlets told this the same way.
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10 of 11 outlets skipped it: UAE opened an investigation into possible terrorist activity or prior planning.
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Cockpit stabbing and plunge
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a pilot aboard a Flydubai flight carrying mostly Israeli passengers stabbed the other pilot and apparently tried to crash the plane before passengers and crew subdued him. Netanyahu said the aircraft went into a spin and began plunging as it approached Israel, and he said an Israeli passenger and a crew member broke into the cockpit and subdued the attacking pilot as he tried "to sabotage" the aircraft's systems. Aviatar Alevi, 17, described people "screaming, running, panicking, blood" as the Israel-bound flight emitted a distress signal.
Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry said the captain, Indian national Smit Machchhar, and the Omani co-pilot were transferred to Abu Dhabi after medical treatment following the emergency landing in Tabuk. Flight-tracking data cited by Global Times said Flydubai flight FZ1073 plunged nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before transmitting emergency signals.
Claims, arrests, and rivals
Netanyahu said the suspected attacker had been arrested and was being questioned by Saudi authorities, and he said Israel was in continuous contact with "the relevant authorities."
Yair Lapid said, "there was no mention of a hijacking scenario of a plane. Nothing like that. Nothing. Zero," as he disputed how the incident was being framed.
Netanyahu said the attacker was being investigated in Saudi Arabia, where the plane landed at Tabuk airport, and he believed the attacker would be taken to the United Arab Emirates.
The UAE’s chief prosecutor opened an investigation including the possibility of "terrorist activity or intent," while it also said several possibilities remained under investigation, including terrorism and mental disorders.
El Mundo described the incident as election ammunition, quoting Netanyahu calling those who neutralized the Flydubai pilot "heroes" and saying they "saved many lives."
Where the investigation goes
The Saudi Interior Ministry said the captain and co-pilot were transferred to Abu Dhabi, and it said the investigation involved an assault on the pilot by his co-pilot, leaving both parties injured. The UAE has now taken over the investigation and its team was examining the attack and "whether it was linked to any terrorist purpose," while it said the UAE has jurisdiction because the aircraft is registered there. Dr Hamad Al Shamsi ordered the formation of a specialised prosecution team to investigate the circumstances and causes of the attack aboard the flydubai aircraft.
Captain Smit Machchhar, from India’s financial hub of Mumbai, was seriously injured and passengers described how the pilot still managed to open the cockpit door to let them in. Global Times said Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described the incident as a "jihadist terror attack," while Netanyahu’s office said Israeli security agencies were instructed to prepare for "possible additional threats."