The wounded captain of the FlyDubai flight and the pᴀssenger who saved him became heroes. What the media is writing

The incident during the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, which almost ended in disaster, is gaining new details. The FlyDubai plane almost crashed after the co-pilot attacked the captain with a knife, but the pᴀssengers managed to neutralize him and safely land the aircraft in Saudi Arabia. The motives of the attacker are still unknown. What the media write about the drama that played out in the sky is in the Izvestia digest.

Axios: Netanyahu says FlyDubai pilots prevented the “September 11 disaster”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has released new details of a FlyDubai flight en route to Israel, during which the pilot stabbed a colleague, causing the plane to dangle at an altitude of several thousand meters.

Netanyahu said that Indian pilot Smith Machchar, who was stabbed, opened the cockpit after the attack, and Israeli pᴀssenger Yaniv Hayoun, who works as a plumber, went inside and discovered that the Omani pilot was apparently trying to interfere with the control of the plane. Netanyahu said the suspect was being interrogated in Saudi Arabia and that the UAE had agreed that Israel could participate in the interrogation.

US President Donald Trump said Netanyahu and others had informed him of the incident. He called the pilot, who was wounded by a knife, a “hero” for managing to open the cockpit door, and also praised the plumber’s actions. Netanyahu made it clear that the investigators have no specific information indicating Iran’s involvement in the incident.

Bloomberg: pᴀssengers prevented the disaster by neutralizing the pilot who injured the captain

The disaster was avoided only by a miracle: pᴀssengers and crew members burst into the cockpit of a FlyDubai plane that took off in Dubai and managed to stabilize the airliner after it crashed more than 4,300 m in less than 30 seconds, almost at the speed of sound. The drama played out about two hours after the flight started. According to Flightradar24, the plane crashed sharply, after which it managed to gain altitude and transmit an emergency distress signal, followed by a so-called illegal interference signal, indicating a possible hijacking.

The incident occurred at a time when Netanyahu is running for re-election in a few weeks, promising to тιԍнтen security measures for his 10 million citizens. An attempted hijacking of a plane may sway undecided voters in his favor — although his main rivals also claim security as their top priority, continuing the fight against Iran and its puppet groups. Netanyahu said that almost all of the pᴀssengers on the flight were Israelis, and that those who intervened “showed exceptional resourcefulness and courage.”

ᴀssociated Press: The idenтιтy and motives of the attacker remain unknown.

The idenтιтy and motives of the Omani co-pilot who stabbed his captain during a flight to Israel, causing the plane to descend dangerously and was forced to land in Saudi Arabia, remain unknown to the public. Israeli pᴀssengers on a FlyDubai plane carrying 174 people from the UAE to Tel Aviv told how the bloodied Indian captain managed to open the cockpit door to let them in, after which they clashed with the co-pilot and stabilized the descent so sharply that the plane’s rudder was torn off.

The Saudi and UAE authorities have publicly stated only that investigations are underway. Saudi Arabia does not have official diplomatic relations with Israel, which could be an obstacle to any joint investigation. According to the Indian Embᴀssy in Riyadh, Captain Smith Machhar, who is considered by many to be one of the heroes of the flight, is in stable condition. The condition of the co-pilot is still unclear.

Reuters: From textile engineer to cockpit hero: Indian pilot deserves praise

For Indian pilot Smith Machchar, who was hailed as a hero for preventing the downing of a FlyDubai plane bound for Israel, aviation has never been a childhood dream. Machchar dreamed of starting a family textile business, until at the age of 19 he became interested in aviation, which scared his mother. Even after thousands of hours of flying, Machchar hides his love of aviation and does not discuss it with those on the ground.

Machchar is recovering in a hospital in the Saudi city of Tabuk, where his plane landed. The Mumbai native was covered in blood on the cockpit floor when he managed to activate the cockpit door opening mechanism. This allowed the pᴀssengers and crew to neutralize the co-pilot, and two other FlyDubai pilots who were traveling as pᴀssengers helped land the plane. The experienced captain of the Boeing 737, who flew almost 9,750 hours in his 15-year career, joined aviation relatively late. He worked for the Indian commercial airline SpiceJet for more than a decade before joining FlyDubai in 2022.

The Washington Post: how terrorist attacks changed cockpit doors

The emergency landing of a Flydubai flight in Saudi Arabia could have ended in a much bigger disaster if the crew and pᴀssengers had not been able to get through the cockpit door. The doors of modern aircraft are designed as reinforced barriers. This became a key moment in the efforts to prevent terrorist attacks after September 11, when hijackers broke down the doors to take control of the planes.But this is not a reliable system. Such an access system did not prevent the Germanwings disaster in 2015, when the co-pilot, who was trying to commit suicide, crashed the plane into a mountain, killing all 150 people on board. The investigation revealed that the pilot locked the cockpit door and denied access using an external code after the captain left the cockpit, possibly to use the toilet. After that disaster, many airlines and regulators adopted rules prohibiting leaving anyone alone in the cockpit.