Indian pilot foils attack on board: Omani co-pilot stopped in Saudi Arabia

The Omani co-pilot who stabbed Indian commander Smit Machchhar on Wednesday and is suspected of trying to crash the Boeing with 174 people on board is still in custody in Saudi Arabia, where local authorities are conducting the first stages of his interrogation. “If I hadn't shown courage, 170 people would have died,” declared the hero pilot

"I had sustained numerous injuries, but I told myself I had to get up and act. When I fell, I felt the plane crash. That's when I found the strength to open the cabin door. I was fighting for my life. I realized that if I didn't show courage, 170 passengers would die." This was said by Indian pilot Smit Machchhar, injured during an alleged attack by the co-pilot on board a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, saying he acted to protect passengers. Machchhar spoke from his hospital bed during a phone call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The investigations

Saudi Arabia says preliminary investigations confirm the main facts of the crash, namely that the co-pilot of the Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv assaulted the captain during the flight, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in the Saudi city of Tabuk. The emergency landing occurred after the flight's passengers intervened and stopped the attack. Almost all the passengers were Israelis. Saudi Arabia says it conducted the preliminary investigation with security teams from the United Arab Emirates.

In-depth analysis

FlyDubai, the smiles and applause after landing

The hypothesis of terrorism is not excluded

The Emirates have opened a formal investigation into the accident on board FlyDubai flight FZ1073 on Wednesday and have not ruled out the possibility of terrorism. The UAE Attorney General, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, has appointed a specialized team to examine the circumstances of the incident, verifying whether the attack is "connected to terrorist activities or purposes" and whether it was planned in advance or directed by third parties. "In the next few days we will know definitively whether there are links with Iran," said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an interview with Fox News, revealing that the man, once immobilized, shouted "kill me!": "It is clear that he intended to commit suicide, to crash the plane."

In-depth analysis

FlyDubai flight, Israeli sources: “Connection with Iran excluded for now”