Israeli authorities are investigating how an Omani religious extremist, accused of stabbing his co-pilot during an attempted hijacking branded “Israel’s 9/11,” was permitted to serve on the flight.
Passengers and crew reportedly overpowered the pilot after he attacked his colleague and tried to seize control of a Flydubai aircraft travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday morning.
As the aircraft plunged 14,000 feet in only 29 seconds, those on board fought to restore control. Captain Smit Machchhar, suffering serious stab wounds, was left lying in a pool of blood on the cockpit floor. An off-duty British pilot is believed to have been among the passengers who helped subdue the attacker.
Another pilot has since alleged that the assailant, believed to be an Omani national, displayed signs of religious extremism.
Yosef Yisrael, a foreign affairs editor and news anchor for Israel’s Channel 16, said he had spoken with a colleague of the accused pilot who asked not to be identified.
According to Mr Yisrael’s Hebrew-language report, the colleague described the pilot as behaving in an unusually religious manner that appeared out of place among his Flydubai colleagues. He allegedly prayed frequently and refused to shake hands with women.
Mr Yisrael said his source expressed regret and accused Flydubai of having “betrayed Israel”.
“There is no other way to put it—we hired the services of a terrorist and nearly caused the deaths of 180 people,” Mr Yisrael quoted the source as saying. “Usually only Emiratis fly to Israel. It is not clear how he got on this flight.”
The pilot, believed to be an Omani religious extremist, allegedly stabbed his co-pilot during a suspected hijacking attempt
Passenger footage appears to show injured captain Smit Machchhar lying on the cabin floor while others attend to him
Mr Machchhar was praised for helping protect the 174 passengers on board after reportedly fighting his co-pilot in the cockpit and preventing further interference with the aircraft’s systems
Israel is examining how the alleged attacker passed security checks and was approved to operate a flight bound for Tel Aviv. Oman has no diplomatic relations with Israel, while foreign flight crews operating into Israeli airspace are subject to strict controls.
Flydubai has suspended flights to and from Israel while it investigates the incident.
Flight FZ1073 changed course over Jordanian airspace on Wednesday morning before eventually landing at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia.
The crew issued a general emergency alert using squawk code 7700, a four-digit signal used to notify air traffic controllers of an in-flight emergency, as the aircraft turned around near the Jordan-Saudi border.
While over Saudi Arabia, the aircraft briefly transmitted code 7500, which indicates unlawful interference or a possible hijacking. Officials feared the incident could develop into another September 11-style attack, while reports said passengers had restrained the suspect and stopped an alleged “Israeli 9/11”.
A source who heard the crew’s mayday communication with air traffic control said the aircraft was redirected by Saudi Arabia and Jordan before being cleared to land in Tabuk, a major city in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
The anonymous source said the pilot sounded shaken as he repeatedly called “mayday”, reported that a hijacking was under way and warned that ambulances would be required after landing.
Saudi authorities initially refused permission to land and instructed the aircraft to seek clearance from Jordan. The plane was then told to wait for approval from the Jordanian military before being turned away.
The pilot subsequently returned toward Saudi Arabia and said he had no choice but to land in Tabuk. Air traffic controllers did not explain why the earlier landing requests had been rejected.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with passenger Yaniv Hayun – who helped prevent the hijacking on the Flydubai plane
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the assailant’s arrest on Wednesday afternoon, adding he is ‘currently being questioned by the Saudi authorities’. His identity, intention and motive have not yet been confirmed.
Passengers and crew, including the captain Mr Machchhar, have been hailed for their bravery in preventing what is believed to be an attempted suicide mission. One of whom is said to have been an off-duty British pilot.
Mr Machchhar was praised for saving the lives of those 174 passengers on board, which included four Americans. While cruising mid-air, the hero was able to fight off his co-pilot in the cockpit and his attempts to sabotage the plane’s systems.
Distressing footage showed Mr Machchhar lying on the ground covered in blood as passengers tended to his injuries, while another pilot is seen seemingly lying nearby unconscious. Passengers can be heard telling one of the men: ‘You saved the plane.’
Delhi’s embassy in Saudi Arabia has since confirmed Mr Machchhar is being treated in a hospital in Tabuk.
The incident was described as ‘an attempted jihadist terror attack’ by Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz, which was ‘thwarted only thanks to the heroism of several Israeli passengers’.
This includes one Israeli passenger, named by local media as Yaniv Hayun, who was called a ‘hero’ by Mr Netanyahu during a meeting as he arrived back in Tel Aviv.
Mr Hayun, who was wearing a blood-soaked T-shirt, embraced the Israeli PM before describing how he broke down the cockpit door and wrestled the alleged terrorist before taking over control of the plane – the skills of which he credits to his watching of TV show Air Disasters, which investigates notable aviation crises.
The jet dropped from 30,875 feet to 16,750 feet in just 29 seconds
Passengers file out of the rear of the plane, which appeared to show a section of the rudder missing, after it landed in Saudi Arabia
One passenger Almog Itali described how the plane became a ‘rollercoaster’ before it ‘dropped down like a massive G-force’ for around 30 seconds.
Mr Itali credits the passengers who intercepted the believed hijack with his life, telling BBC Newsnight: ‘They are very brave, the literally saved our lives.’
Aviation experts have marvelled that the plane didn’t crash, as the flight plummeted from 33,000ft to 17,000ft (around 10,000 meters to 5,100 meters) in about a minute, before making an erratic circle close to the Jordanian border and landing in Tabuk about an hour later, according to Flightradar24, which identified the aircraft as a Boeing 737 Max 8.
United Airlines pilot and aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo said he was surprised that the plane was able to land safely after most of the rudder was ripped off the tail during the extreme descent.
‘That was a serious descent and strong aerodynamic forces on that rudder for that to happen. I’m just amazed the aircraft didn’t come apart,’ Mr Arroyo said.
Another aviation safety expert, Jeff Guzzetti, said that given the rate of descent, it may not have been possible for the plane to level out if it had fallen below 10,000ft.
‘It is remarkable they were able to pull out of that dive. What saved them is there was enough altitude left for them to recover,’ said Mr Guzzetti, who used to investigate crashes for the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration in the US.
Flydubai said in a statement it was suspending flights to and from Israel as it investigated Wednesday’s incident.
READ MORE: Stabbed pilot is a true hero. He opened the cockpit door’: Netanyahu heaps praise on captain of Flydubai plane and passengers who overpowered attacker and averted 9/11-style disaster
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