Passengers Describe Cockpit Scrum on Diverted flydubai Flight
· World · ABC News (AU), NDTV, Times of India
Passengers aboard a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv have described a frantic mid-air cockpit struggle after the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the pilot and attempted to crash the aircraft. The Boeing 737 plunged nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before diverting to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia with 174 people on board. Indian national Smit Machchhar, the injured pilot, managed to release the cockpit door, allowing passengers including Yaniv Hayoun and dentist Shota Musayev to enter and subdue the attacker. Mr Hayoun stated he grabbed the controls and adjusted them based on techniques he watched on television. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later met with the passengers at Ben Gurion Airport to praise their intervention.
Why it matters
The near-disaster raises urgent questions about airline cockpit security vetting and crew mental health screening on international carriers.
Read the original report — ABC News (AU)
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