FlyDubai passengers recount 18,000ft ‘hijacking’: ‘We saw a stab, the plane was like a roller coaster’ | Today’s news

“Suddenly the plane went off like a roller coaster,” passengers on board a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv described the moment chaos erupted over the skies of Saudi Arabia.

In the cockpit of Boeing Co. The 737 Max had an altercation that plunged the plane more than 14,000 feet (4,300 meters) in less than 30 seconds before other pilots who rushed to the scene were able to stabilize the plane. Indian captain Smit Machchhar was stabbed by his colleague in the cockpit. During the struggle, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door.

Describing the ordeal to the BBC, a passenger said: “The plane suddenly started going down like a massive G-force roller coaster.

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The rapid descent was caused by a violent altercation in the cockpit where the co-pilot stabbed the Indian captain, leading to a dramatic drop of more than 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds.

Passengers intervened to apprehend the assailant after witnessing the stabbing in the cockpit. Three brave passengers worked together to subdue him, using zip ties and headphones.

Captain Smit Machchhar, despite his injuries, managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing other crew members and passengers to assist in apprehending the assailant and ultimately averting disaster.

The flight was diverted to Saudi Arabia due to an emergency caused by the co-pilot’s attack, which included a request for an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport.

Captain Smit Machchhar has been praised by leaders including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his bravery and presence of mind and is all set to receive the Visisht Gujarat Garima award from the Gujarat government.

“Apparently one of the pilots stopped the other and several passengers and crew took over and knocked him down,” he said. Itali said three or four passengers who intervened were injured, but suffered only superficial injuries. “They are very brave. They literally saved our lives,” he said.

“We saw the sting”

Passenger Yaniv, who was on board the diverted flydubai flight, said the stabbed pilot was close to the cockpit door, making it difficult for him to get inside. Despite his injuries, the pilot managed to open the door before crashing, Yaniv said. He added that it appeared the attacker was trying to put the plane out of service.

Read also | Flydubai in the spotlight after the Smit Machchhar incident: 5 key facts

Another passenger, Zvika Meness, said he joined two other passengers to apprehend the assailant after witnessing the incident inside the cockpit.

Meness told the BBC that the three passengers subdued and bound the attacker using his own zip ties and multimedia headphones.

In an interview with Israel’s public television, Kan Meness recalled that the pilot, who was sitting in the passenger cabin, rushed into the cockpit after hearing a scream. “Then we saw the stabbing and they were thrown out. It was a very difficult incident,” he said.

According to Meness, passengers intervened after witnessing the stabbing and helped subdue the assailant on board the flight.

“We’re here to hijack a plane”

Several videos have also surfaced on social media showing terrified passengers seeking help from the online community.

“We’re here to hijack a plane,” says one passenger. “We’ve defeated the terrorists at this point; we’re close to landing. Anyone who can hear me, we need help.”

Read also | PM Modi praises brave FlyDubai pilot for ‘averting major tragedy’

He then said the plane was landing in “Tabuk, apparently in Saudi Arabia,” a location he described as unknown. Everyone on board is safe “except the pilot,” he says, calling for help again.

The plane was diverted to Saudi Arabia and the passengers returned to Israel. flydubai has launched an investigation into the matter.

Indian pilot, passengers praised for actions

The Indian pilot and passengers who intervened to stop what appeared to be an attempted hijacking of the flight have been praised for their actions.

The pilot, identified as Captain Smit Machchhar, was credited by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with averting a potentially catastrophic incident. Netanyahu told CNN that Machhar “managed to prevent the catastrophe of 9/11.”