'A Whack Job Or Perhaps A Terrorist': US President Donald Trump Calls Indian Flydubai Pilot Smit Machchhar A 'Hero' After Mid-Air Cockpit Attack
Washington: US President Donald Trump has called Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot of a Flydubai aircraft, a "hero", recounting how the badly wounded captain managed to open the cockpit door after being stabbed by the co-pilot during a dramatic mid-air incident on a flight bound for Israel. Trump said he spoke "at length" with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the incident.…
US President Donald Trump hailed Indian Flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar as a hero following a mid-air incident where the co-pilot allegedly attacked Machchhar with a knife. Trump recounted the story of how Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door despite being stabbed, saving the aircraft from an apparent hijacking and potential crash.
The President said he spoke in detail about the incident with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but emphasized that he could not independently verify the account. Trump described the co-pilot as a "whack job" or a "terrorist" based on the information he received. The pilot was severely injured but managed to open the solid steel cockpit door, a task that required significant strength and acumen.
The aircraft was descending at an alarming angle when a passenger intervened, pulling the attacker from his seat before others restrained the assailant. The plane ultimately landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Trump stressed that the motive behind the co-pilot's actions had not been established.
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