A person who monitored the communications of FlyDubai Flight FZ1073 has said the pilot's voice was trembling as he issued a mayday call and declared a hijacking was taking place. The flight, bound for Tel Aviv, made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after a reported knife attack in the cockpit.
Emergency landing after distress call
The aircraft touched down at 9:45 a.m., an hour after issuing the distress call, according to a statement from Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk. The mayday signal was triggered shortly after 6.30am BST on Wednesday.
Harrowing footage filmed by passengers during the flight, some of whom were covered in blood, captured them restraining the attacker and pleading for help. Shocking video also revealed one of the pilots bloodied. The wounded pilot, named as Indian national Smit Machchhar, is understood to have opened the cockpit door, enabling passengers and crew to overpower the assailant.
Pilot hailed as hero
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Machchhar a “hero” on Thursday. Modi stated: “In the face of the gravest danger and despite being seriously injured, he showed immense courage and an unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others. His valor helped save hundreds of lives and avert a great tragedy.”
Limited information is publicly available about Machchhar, though his LinkedIn profile indicates he has been employed by Flydubai for approximately four years. Prior to this role, he accumulated 11 years' experience with SpiceJet, an Indian budget airline, where he held positions as a senior commander and line training captain. According to the profile, he has amassed over 9,750 flying hours.
Passengers' actions and investigation
During the incident, the aircraft plunged more than 14,000ft. Flight-tracking information from Flightradar24 showed the Boeing 737 MAX 8 dropping from 30,875ft to 16,750ft in 29 seconds, a fall of 14,125ft, reports the Express. The sudden descent sparked terror amongst those on board, with passenger Naama Bershadski remembering thinking “We're going to die,” as she closed her eyes and prayed.
Yaniv Hayoun, amongst the passengers lauded as a “hero” by the Israeli Prime Minister following his restraint of the knife-wielding individual, revealed that he'd picked up knowledge on landing aircraft from watching a television show, Air Crash Investigation. Yaniv told Benjamin Netanyahu: “We pinned him down to keep him secure and then I jumped into it (the cockpit) and pulled the controls.” When Netanyahu enquired how he knew to pull backwards, Yaniv replied: “I watch Air Crash Investigations Mr Prime Minister.”
Investigation and regional response
The reasoning for the assault remains unknown, which led Israel to deploy warplanes amid concerns of a possible hijacking. Israeli officials are investigating the occurrence as a suspected terror attack. Defence Minister Israel Katz said that preliminary intelligence indicated the alleged assailant aimed to crash the aircraft with everyone aboard.
According to the Associated Press, someone monitoring the aircraft's exchanges with air traffic control reported the plane being turned away by Saudi Arabia and Jordan before ultimately touching down in Tabuk, while terrified passengers could be heard screaming in the background. The listener stated that the pilot's voice trembled as he issued a “mayday” call and declared a hijacking was taking place and ambulances would be required. Saudi Arabia, however, initially denied permission to land and redirected him towards Jordan. The aircraft was told to hold for authorisation from the Jordanian military before being refused entry.
Hijackings haven't occurred in Israel for decades, though the nation maintains some of the world's most rigorous airport security protocols, including for flights heading to Israel. The emergency touchdown in Saudi Arabia wasn't the first occasion a plane transporting Israelis home has been forced to do so. Although formal diplomatic ties with Israel don't exist, the kingdom removed its long-standing ban on Israeli aircraft flying through its airspace in 2022.
