Trump on flydubai incident: ‘I spoke to Bibi Netanyahu at length’; co-pilot may have been terrorist
US president recounts dramatic version of attempted hijacking, saying an Israeli plumber helped subdue the co-pilot - but cautions: "That’s the story that I heard. I don’t know if it's true."
On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed he had spoken "at length" with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about a recent incident on a Flydubai flight bound for Israel. Trump suggested that the co-pilot may have been either "a terrorist" or "a whack job," as the co-pilot stabbed the pilot during the incident. According to Trump's account, the pilot managed to open the cockpit door and call for help, despite being badly wounded.
An Israeli passenger, described by Trump as a plumber with little experience in flying, is said to have intervened during the crisis. Trump claims the passenger entered the cockpit, removed the co-pilot from his seat, and threw him backward. Other passengers then helped restrain the co-pilot. At this point, according to Trump, the plane was descending at an extreme angle, exceeding its normal operating limits.
The Israeli passenger, having learned some basic concepts of flying from watching an aviation show, reportedly grabbed the control stick and managed to level the plane before it crashed, Trump said. The president praised the passenger's actions, calling him a "Jewish plumber" who had shown "extraordinary presence of mind" during the incident.
Trump cautioned that this account was based on information he received and did not independently verify. He also did not definitively state that the co-pilot intended to crash the plane.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 1 other outlet
- flydubai pilot 'a hero', plumber steadied plunging aircraft: Trump hindustantimes.com
