Indian pilot Smit Machchhar and the copilot who allegedly stabbed him mid-flight were not the only two pilots abord the flydubai flight to Tel Aviv on which major chaos erupted on Wednesday.
Flydubai confirmed that an altercation had taken place on the flight deck and said crew members travelling aboard the aircraft secured the plane, diverted it and landed safely. There were two other pilots on board the FZ1073 flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Such a delay could have left the original crew unable to operate the return flight within their permitted hours. An Israeli dentist aboard the flight treated the badly wounded pilot. The airline cautioned against determining a motive while the incident remains under investigation. Israeli officials have described the incident as a deliberate terror attack.
The flight transmitted the international 7500 code for unlawful interference, initially raising fears of a hijacking, while Israeli fighter jets were scrambled.
The pilots took control of the plane as passengers tried to overpower the accused copilot, according to a BBC report. The other pilots were placed on board to prepare for the possibility that regional airspace restrictions could force the aircraft to take a longer route, according to a Jerusalem Post report. The additional pilots were there to ensure the crew did not exceed its permitted duty hours, the report said, citing a person familiar with the matter. “If something happened over Kuwait and they told you to reroute, then you’re putting one hour, two hours extra on the flight,” the person said. Israeli officials said the co-pilot stabbed the captain and allegedly attempted to crash the aircraft before passengers and crew intervened. One of the additional pilots reached the cockpit and took control of the aircraft, while the second initially appeared to be in shock, according to the passenger. The passenger said Israeli passengers fought the attacker and restrained him, eventually using charging cables to tie him up. Defence Minister Israel Katz called it an “attempted jihadist terror attack,” while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said passengers and crew had prevented a major disaster.
