{
  "id": 11450217,
  "title": "Pilot in flydubai attack says could not let ‘all those people die’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/pilot-in-flydubai-attack-says-could-not-let-all-those-people-die-11450217",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-02T13:22:50.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Citizen",
    "slug": "the-citizen",
    "url": "https://www.citizen.co.za/news/news-world/pilot-in-flydubai-attack-says-could-not-let-all-those-people-die/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Indian pilot Smit Machchhar, a 17-year veteran of aviation, recounted his harrowing experience of being attacked by a co-pilot mid-flight from the UAE to Israel on Friday. Machchhar recounted that he knew he had to act quickly, as he had suffered severe injuries and the plane was plummeting. He managed to open the cockpit door despite his wounds, allowing passengers and crew to take control of the aircraft and make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, averting what could have been a disastrous crash.\n\nPassengers described the plane losing around 17,000 feet in just one minute, a terrifying descent that only worsened when the co-pilot allegedly shouted \"Kill me, kill me\" during the struggle. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Machchhar and the passengers for averting a \"great tragedy,\" noting that the attacker had apparently been subjected to \"Islamist radical indoctrination\" and was suicidal.\n\nThe co-pilot has since been returned to the UAE for questioning as authorities investigate the incident to determine if there was any terrorist intent. Flydubai has suspended flights to and from Israel following the attack, leaving some Israelis stranded and El Al scrambling to arrange replacement flights to bring them back home.",
  "summary": "Indian pilot attacked by co-pilot aboard flight from UAE to Israel says he could not let all those people die after helping stop the crash.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Toronto Sun",
        "title": "Pilot in flydubai attack says could not let ‘all those people die’",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/pilot-in-flydubai-attack-says-could-not-let-all-those-people-die-11429692",
        "published": "2026-10-02T11:21:14.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al-Monitor",
        "title": "Pilot in flydubai attack says could not let 'all those people die'",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/pilot-in-flydubai-attack-says-could-not-let-all-those-people-die",
        "published": "2026-10-02T11:30:25.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Standard Kenya",
        "title": "I could not let all those people die, Pilot in flydubai attack says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/i-could-not-let-all-those-people-die-pilot-in-flydubai-attack-says",
        "published": "2026-10-02T11:53:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}