The captain who fought the co-pilot of flydubai flight FZ1073 and prevented an apparent terror attack is of Indian origin, Israel’s YNet News and Channel 12 reported. The flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was landed by off-duty pilots who were travelling among the passengers. Initial reports suggest the Indian captain was stabbed but fought back, preventing the plane from crashing and over 180 people, mostly Israelis, from being killed.
Speaking to India Today TV’s Pooja Shali, Guy Azriel, diplomatic correspondent at i24NEWS, said, “According to what we know from Israeli officials and initial investigation, the co-pilot was an Omani national, who was the terrorist who attempted to stab the main pilot. I understand is an Indian.”
Channel 12 reported that the pilot is of “Indian origin”, while Ynet News identified him as an “Indian national”.
The Omani co-pilot, who allegedly attempted to crash the plane, is now under investigation over how he was granted permission to fly to Israel. According to the report, all foreign crew members, particularly those from Arab or Gulf states, undergo strict, individual security assessments and screening before being allowed to enter Israeli airspace or land in Israel.
Hours after the report went up, some sources and media outlets identified the pilot as Captain Smit Machchhar, an aviator from Gujarat with over a decade of flying experience who previously worked at SpiceJet.
An Israeli official who spoke to N12, the digital venture of Channel 12, described the severity of the incident and said a major attack had been averted. “One pilot stabbed the other and tried to do 9/11 – either hijack the plane to the ground or crash it,” the official was quoted as saying by N12.
Yasmin Abukasis, mother of passenger Miryam Shira Ohayon, told AFP her daughter called her from Saudi Arabia: “She said one pilot tried to kill the other pilot with a knife. They heard shouting”.
Another passenger went to the cockpit “and saw a lot of blood. She started screaming ‘come help’ and some people went in and caught the guy”, she added.
Investigators are also examining whether the Omani co-pilot held dual citizenship, which may have allowed him to board the flight to Israel. Israeli sources quoted by Channel 12 said he had been working for the airline for less than a year.
Also Read:Hashim Musa: Ex-Pak Army Commando, LeT Commander killed in Budgam
Ynet News reported that both pilots are currently in a hospital at Tabuk in Saudi Arabia.
An Israeli passenger told The Jerusalem Post that one pilot stabbed the other and tried to force him out of the cockpit as the aircraft began plunging. According to the passenger, several Israelis seated near the front rushed to the cockpit and fought the attacker as the plane descended.
Two other pilots seated at the back initially appeared to be in shock, the passenger said, prompting the passenger to shout at them to take control of the aircraft. The group eventually managed to remove the attacker from the cockpit and bring the two pilots inside. One of them then took control of the aircraft, while the other took longer to recover from the shock.
The stabbed pilot was in critical condition, the passenger told The Jerusalem Post. An Israeli dentist travelling on the flight treated the injured pilot and, according to the passenger, helped save his life.
-
-
-
-
