Abstract:
The pilot of a FlyDubai passenger plane was attacked by his colleagues in the cockpit, almost causing disaster. One day after the incident, more details emerged about how all parties worked to stabilize the plane and rescue the 174 passengers on board.
After speaking with returning passengers at Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion Airport, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed more details of the mid-air scare to Fox News. Netanyahu said late Wednesday that the attacker stabbed or hit another pilot with an ax and was subdued by passengers who arrived at the scene.
Netanyahu said that "the pilot present at the time was an Indian pilot" and that he was "very seriously injured." "I think he's still fighting for his life right now, but he showed incredible courage and managed to open the cockpit door."
A thrilling scene on board a Boeing 737 Max passenger plane on Wednesday morning turned around due to the timely intervention of passengers and a team of backup crew members. However, some key details remain unclear, including the motive for the attack, whether the pilot involved acted alone, and what political and economic impact the incident may have. In the context of the Iran war, the region is already facing more severe security concerns.
The UAE Attorney General has ordered the establishment of an investigation team. According to a statement, the investigation team will investigate the incident to identify the specific circumstances and motives behind the cockpit conflict and verify whether the incident is related to any terrorist activities.
Passengers arriving at Tel Aviv Ben-Gurion Airport on September 30.
FlyDubai has suspended flights to and from Israel while the investigation is ongoing.
Most of the people on board were Israelis. After an unusual flight, the plane made an emergency landing at Tabuk, a regional airport in Saudi Arabia, from where the crew was eventually flown back to Israel.
FlyDubai stated that the reasons and motives behind the incident are currently unclear and "remain subject to formal investigation"; the UAE authorities called it a "security incident".
A key clue in the investigation will be the "black boxes" containing cockpit voice recordings and flight data. The currently known flight path shows that the aircraft suddenly dived sharply before regaining stability. Unconfirmed footage of the plane parked on the tarmac at a Saudi airport showed damage to its vertical tail, suggesting the plane may have been subjected to extreme forces.
In a video released by the Israeli Prime Minister's Office, the first passenger to rush to the cockpit told Netanyahu that after pulling the attacker away from the pilot and out of the cockpit, he grabbed the controls and pulled back.
The passenger's name was Yaniv Hayun. He said to Netanyahu who looked in disbelief, "Mr. Prime Minister, I watch "Sky"." Hayun said that the plane then began to regain its balance, and then an off-duty pilot who arrived at the scene said that he would take over the control.
On September 30, the return flight arrived in Tel Aviv.
According to Netanyahu, the pilot who tried to crash the plane was an Omani national. The news raised questions about how he was allowed to fly amid strict security review procedures.
Following the disclosure of information about the nationality of the co-pilot, FlyDubai and related security agencies may face pressure to explain why he was still on a passenger plane bound for Israel when Oman and Israel have no diplomatic relations and citizens of the two countries are restricted from entering each other's countries.
Netanyahu made the above remarks in an interview with Fox News on Thursday. He said the attacker had been indoctrinated with radical Islamist ideas, but cautioned that it was too early to tell whether he had any ties to Iran.
Netanyahu said in the interview, "We have restrictions on pilots coming from countries that don't have diplomatic relations with Israel. Obviously, he managed to get past those restrictions. So there is a loophole here and we need to figure out how to ensure that pilots are vetted in advance."
Neither FlyDubai nor the UAE government announced the nationality or identity of the pilot involved. Netanyahu previously said that the other pilot who was attacked and seriously injured was an Indian national.
The attempted hijacking occurred at a time of heightened geopolitical tension. Netanyahu is up for re-election in weeks and has focused his campaign on strengthening security while the United States and Iran remain locked in a standoff.
The incident may prompt some undecided voters to support Netanyahu, but his main rivals have also pledged to make security a top priority. Netanyahu has promised to investigate the incident thoroughly.
Netanyahu told Fox News, "So we will find out and trace the origins of this attacker. Whether he has accomplices and whether Iran is behind it, I think we will find out soon."
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