Wounded pilot struggles to land Dubai-Tel Aviv flight after being stabbed by co-pilot
A pilot on a Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight has been arrested after he stabbed the other pilot in the cockpit during an apparent attempt to crash the plane.
Despite being wounded, the attacked pilot — identified as Captain Smit Machchhar — fought back and “managed to prevent a 9/11 disaster,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told CNN.
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A passenger described how he put the alleged assailant in a chokehold before grabbing the plane’s controls to stabilise the flight. But it is unclear who ultimately landed the plane.
Flight tracking data shows the aircraft plummeted 17,400 feet in less than two minutes. The plane was diverted to Saudi Arabia, and passengers have since returned safely to Israel. Flydubai has launched an investigation into the incident, an airline spokesperson said.
Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport issued a statement on Wednesday saying both the captain and first officer of Flydubai flight FZ1073 were injured after the aircraft made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
The airport said it received a distress call from air traffic control at 8:44 a.m. local time, and the flight landed safely at 9:45 a.m.
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The two pilots were taken to hospital for medical care, while passengers were assisted at the airport terminal, the airport said.
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