‘Religious extremist, didn’t shake hands with women’: Colleague on flydubai pilot who tried to crash flight
A Dubai-Tel Aviv flight turned into a mid-air emergency after a violent altercation erupted in the cockpit, leaving Indian captain Smit Machchhar injured and the aircraft plunging thousands of feet. Israeli officials said the co-pilot, reportedly an Omani national, allegedly tried to bring down the plane before passengers intervened and restrained him. The aircraft was later brought safely to the ground in Saudi Arabia with the help of other flydubai pilots who were travelling on board.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later said the alleged attacker had been arrested and was being questioned by Saudi authorities. His motive has not been officially confirmed, and he has not been charged. The alleged attacker has been reported by Israeli media to be an Omani national. The Times of Israel reported that Machchhar was attacked by his co-pilot, who was “said to be an Omani national”. N12, the digital arm of Israel’s Channel 12, also reported that the co-pilot stabbed Machchhar and allegedly tried to crash the aircraft. Israeli media reports have said passengers and other pilots aboard the aircraft intervened after the cockpit door was opened.
Fellow pilot describes alleged attacker as ‘religious extremist’
According to  Israel’s Channel 16 news, a fellow flydubai pilot described the alleged attacker as a “religious extremist”. The pilot reportedly claimed that the co-pilot had joined flydubai around eight months earlier, prayed excessively throughout the day and refused to shake hands with women. These claims are attributed to the fellow pilot and have not been independently established as the motive behind the incident.
Flydubai has said that the underlying reasons for the incident remain unknown and warned against premature speculation while the investigation continues. The Times of Israel reported that the airline suspended flights to and from Israel amid the probe.
Why the reported Omani identity has raised questions
The reported Omani nationality of the co-pilot has also triggered questions in Israel because Oman does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel.
The Times of Israel reported that the co-pilot was said to be Omani, while Machchhar was identified as an Indian national.
Israeli media reports have also raised questions over how an Omani national was able to operate a commercial flight into Israel under the country’s aviation and travel restrictions.
According to the information provided in the source material, Israeli Transportation Minister Miri Regev has asked the country’s Civil Aviation Authority to investigate whether the United Arab Emirates breached its aviation agreement by allowing the co-pilot to operate the flight.
A Transportation Ministry source was quoted as describing the matter as a “clear breach”.
Channel 12 has also reported claims from sources familiar with the matter that the co-pilot may have held dual citizenship. If confirmed, that could be relevant to questions surrounding how he was permitted to operate the flight.
Black boxes and passenger footage under investigation
Investigators are examining the aircraft’s black-box data and passenger videos to reconstruct what happened inside the cockpit. The Times of Israel reported that the confrontation caused the aircraft to plunge nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds. The flight also transmitted emergency signals, including the 7500 code associated with hijacking or unlawful interference.
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