Trump calls Flydubai co-pilot 'terrorist' or 'whack-job'
Trump calls Flydubai co-pilot 'terrorist' or 'whack-job' US President Donald Trump called the co-pilot of a Flydubai passenger aircraft a "terrorist, or perhaps a whack-job" after he allegedly attempted to crash the plane with 180 passengers on board, most of them Israeli. "I think it’s an incredible story," he told reporters at the White House. "I did speak to Bibi Netanyahu at length about this…
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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