First Thing: Details remain unclear after ‘terror attack’ on Dubai-Israel flight
Netanyahu says it is too early to tell who was behind the apparent attempt to crash flight after pilot stabbed Good morning. Benjamin Netanyahu has said it is too early to tell who was ultimately behind the apparent attempt to crash a Tel Aviv-bound flydubai flight , even as Israel’s ambassador to the UN called the incident a “terror attack”. Flydubai said its flights to and from Israel would be…
Good morning. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated it remains unclear who was responsible for the apparent attempt to crash a flight from Tel Aviv, as the pilot Smit Machchhar, an Indian citizen, was stabbed by a co-pilot during the incident. The United Nations ambassador of Israel referred to the event as a "terror attack." Flydubai, the airline involved, has suspended all operations to and from Israel during the ongoing investigation.
Pilot Machchhar is being hailed as a hero after removing the cockpit door and allowing passengers to take control of the plane from his co-pilot, who was reportedly an Omani national. The plane plummeted nearly 14,000 feet (4,267 meters) within 30 seconds. A passenger mentioned that there were two spare pilots available who assisted in stabilizing the plane and landing it safely in Saudi Arabia.
Donald Trump commented on the incident, suggesting that the co-pilot might have been a terrorist or mentally unstable, and had stabbed the pilot. The death sentence for the co-pilot's accomplice, Ed Pilkington reported for the Guardian, has been controversial as the 17-year-old's age and history of abuse, including multiple rapes by multiple perpetrators and beatings from relatives, contributed to the differing sentencing.
Written by urgent.news from The Guardian US's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
