Netanyahu hails stabbed Indian pilot of flydubai plane
Passengers on the flight reached Israel safely after Indian pilot Smit Machchhar and the crew foiled a co-pilot's attempt to crash the aircraft.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Indian pilot Smit Machchhar for saving passengers after he was stabbed by his colleague on a flydubai plane. The incident occurred on Wednesday when the co-pilot attempted to crash the aircraft. Passengers and crew thwarted the co-pilot's plan, causing the jet to plummet nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds.
Machchhar managed to free the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to overpower him and land the plane safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The pilot, who hails from Mumbai, underwent surgery for his injuries. Indian authorities said Machchhar is receiving necessary medical attention in a Tabuk hospital and is reported to be stable.
The cause of the altercation remains unknown, and flydubai has suspended flights to and from Israel while an investigation is underway.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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