Two Reserve Pilots Hailed as Heroes for Stabilizing Flydubai Flight
Translated & summarized from Mako by baba
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Reserve pilots took control of a Flydubai flight after an alleged cockpit attack.
- Their intervention stabilized the aircraft, preventing a potential tragedy.
- The pilots were on board as deadheading passengers for a return flight.
- Passenger Daniel Schlichter described the pilots' actions as heroic.
- The pilots landed the plane safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Two reserve pilots, who were on a Flydubai flight as deadheading passengers, are being credited with saving the aircraft and its occupants during a severe incident. The pilots, whose identities have not yet been released, entered the cockpit and took control after a co-pilot allegedly attacked the captain. The captain, despite being injured, managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing one of the reserve pilots to enter and assume command. The second reserve pilot then joined him, and they secured the cockpit.
Passenger Daniel Schlichter described the dramatic events, stating that one of the reserve pilots "literally jumped over the people dealing with the attacker" to reach the cockpit. He added that the pilots acted heroically and decisively, stabilizing the Boeing 737 MAX 8 after a steep dive that caused damage to the rear wing. Schlichter noted that the presence of these two extra pilots was due to their planned return flight from Tel Aviv to Dubai, a practice known as deadheading.
Schlichter expressed gratitude, saying, "I think we owe them our lives no less than the other heroes who were on the flight." He also recounted initial passenger anxiety due to the lack of communication from the cockpit after the reserve pilots took over, fearing they might divert the plane. However, approximately 45 minutes later, the pilots announced their intention to land in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, reassuring the passengers.
While the captain, Smith Macher, and other heroic passengers like Yaniv Hayun and Assaf Radwan have received public recognition for their actions during the incident, the two reserve pilots remain largely unidentified and unacknowledged. Flydubai has referred to them only as "crew members on duty" without providing further details. The incident occurred four days prior to this report.
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