Flydubai Captain Recounts Harrowing Cockpit Battle During Hijacking Attempt
Summarized from All Israel News by baba
Flydubai captain Smit Machchhar described his "traumatic" struggle to reopen the cockpit after being attacked by his co-pilot, Hammam al-Hamami, during an attempted hijacking on September 30. The co-pilot allegedly intended to crash the plane into Israel. Machchhar's efforts, along with the intervention of Israeli passengers and off-duty pilots, prevented disaster, leading to an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced that Machchhar will receive a Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Flydubai captain Smit Machchhar fought off an axe attack by his co-pilot during a hijacking attempt on Sept. 30.
- The co-pilot, Hammam al-Hamami, allegedly intended to crash the plane into Israel's Ben Gurion Airport.
- Israeli passengers and off-duty pilots helped regain control and land the plane safely in Saudi Arabia.
- Captain Machchhar will receive Israel's Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism for his actions.
- The co-pilot was fired by Oman Air for radical Islam concerns, but it's unclear if this was shared with flydubai.
All Israel News publishes in English. The key points are summarized above. Read All Israel News’s full report from the link at the top of the page.
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