Israel is investigating how a religious extremist from Oman, who allegedly stabbed his co-pilot during a suspected hijacking attempt, was cleared to fly, it is understood.
Passengers and crew reportedly overpowered the alleged attacker after he launched a violent assault on his colleague and tried to seize control of the Flydubai aircraft travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday morning.
As those on board fought to regain control, the aircraft plunged 14,000ft in just 29 seconds. Captain Smit Machchhar, who had suffered severe injuries, was left lying in a pool of blood on the cockpit floor. An off-duty British pilot is believed to have been among those who helped restrain the attacker.
Another pilot has since alleged that the assailant, believed to be an Omani national, was a religious extremist.
Speaking in Hebrew on Israel’s Channel 16, foreign editor and news anchor Yosef Yisrael said he had spoken with a colleague of the alleged attacker, who asked not to be identified.
In a translated account, Mr Yisrael said the colleague described the pilot as having “very strange behaviour”, particularly in relation to religious practices that appeared unusual within his workplace at Flydubai. He reportedly prayed frequently and refused to shake hands with women.
Mr Yisrael said his source expressed remorse and claimed Flydubai had “betrayed Israel”.
“There is no other way to put it, we hired the services of a terrorist and nearly caused the deaths of 180 people,” Mr Yisrael quoted the man as saying. “Usually only Emiratis fly to Israel. It is not clear how he got on this flight.”
A pilot believed to be a religious extremist from Oman, pictured, allegedly stabbed his co-pilot during a suspected hijacking attempt
Graphic footage recorded by passengers shows the injured pilot, Smit Machchhar, lying on the floor as others come to his aid
Mr Machchhar was praised for helping save the lives of the 174 passengers on board. While the aircraft was cruising at altitude, he reportedly fought off his co-pilot in the cockpit and prevented attempts to interfere with the plane’s systems
Israel is examining how the alleged attacker was approved to operate a flight bound for Tel Aviv, particularly because Oman has no diplomatic relations with Israel and foreign crews entering its airspace are subject to strict controls.
Flydubai has grounded all flights to and from Israel while it investigates the incident.
Flight FZ1073 was diverted over Jordanian airspace on Wednesday morning before eventually landing at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia.
The aircraft transmitted a general emergency alert using squawk code 7700, a four-digit signal used for in-flight communication, as it made a U-turn near the border between Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
While crossing Saudi Arabia, the aircraft briefly transmitted code 7500, which indicates unlawful interference or a hijacking. Officials feared the incident could have developed into another “September 11”-style attack, while passengers were said to have prevented an “Israeli 9/11” by restraining and tying up the alleged attacker.
A person who heard the crew’s mayday call to air traffic control said the aircraft was turned away by both Saudi Arabia and Jordan before finally landing in Tabuk, a major city in the northwest of the Kingdom.
The source, who requested anonymity, said the pilot’s voice was trembling as he issued the mayday call, reported that a hijacking was under way and warned that ambulances would be required.
Saudi Arabia initially refused permission to land and directed the aircraft towards Jordan. The crew was then told to await clearance from the Jordanian military, before the plane was turned away.
The pilot subsequently returned to Saudi Arabia and said he had to land in Tabuk. Air traffic controllers gave no explanation for the earlier refusals.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with passenger Yaniv Hayun – who helped prevent the hijacking on the Flydubai plane
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the assailant’s arrest on Wednesday afternoon, adding he is ‘currently being questioned by the Saudi authorities’. His identity, intention and motive have not yet been confirmed.
Passengers and crew, including the captain Mr Machchhar, have been hailed for their bravery in preventing what is believed to be an attempted suicide mission. One of whom is said to have been an off-duty British pilot.
Mr Machchhar was praised for saving the lives of those 174 passengers on board, which included four Americans. While cruising mid-air, the hero was able to fight off his co-pilot in the cockpit and his attempts to sabotage the plane’s systems.
Distressing footage showed Mr Machchhar lying on the ground covered in blood as passengers tended to his injuries, while another pilot is seen seemingly lying nearby unconscious. Passengers can be heard telling one of the men: ‘You saved the plane.’
Delhi’s embassy in Saudi Arabia has since confirmed Mr Machchhar is being treated in a hospital in Tabuk.
The incident was described as ‘an attempted jihadist terror attack’ by Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz, which was ‘thwarted only thanks to the heroism of several Israeli passengers’.
This includes one Israeli passenger, named by local media as Yaniv Hayun, who was called a ‘hero’ by Mr Netanyahu during a meeting as he arrived back in Tel Aviv.
Mr Hayun, who was wearing a blood-soaked T-shirt, embraced the Israeli PM before describing how he broke down the cockpit door and wrestled the alleged terrorist before taking over control of the plane – the skills of which he credits to his watching of TV show Air Disasters, which investigates notable aviation crises.
The jet dropped from 30,875 feet to 16,750 feet in just 29 seconds
Passengers file out of the rear of the plane, which appeared to show a section of the rudder missing, after it landed in Saudi Arabia
One passenger Almog Itali described how the plane became a ‘rollercoaster’ before it ‘dropped down like a massive G-force’ for around 30 seconds.
Mr Itali credits the passengers who intercepted the believed hijack with his life, telling BBC Newsnight: ‘They are very brave, the literally saved our lives.’
Aviation experts have marvelled that the plane didn’t crash, as the flight plummeted from 33,000ft to 17,000ft (around 10,000 meters to 5,100 meters) in about a minute, before making an erratic circle close to the Jordanian border and landing in Tabuk about an hour later, according to Flightradar24, which identified the aircraft as a Boeing 737 Max 8.
United Airlines pilot and aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo said he was surprised that the plane was able to land safely after most of the rudder was ripped off the tail during the extreme descent.
‘That was a serious descent and strong aerodynamic forces on that rudder for that to happen. I’m just amazed the aircraft didn’t come apart,’ Mr Arroyo said.
Another aviation safety expert, Jeff Guzzetti, said that given the rate of descent, it may not have been possible for the plane to level out if it had fallen below 10,000ft.
‘It is remarkable they were able to pull out of that dive. What saved them is there was enough altitude left for them to recover,’ said Mr Guzzetti, who used to investigate crashes for the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration in the US.
Flydubai said in a statement it was suspending flights to and from Israel as it investigated Wednesday’s incident.
READ MORE: Stabbed pilot is a true hero. He opened the cockpit door’: Netanyahu heaps praise on captain of Flydubai plane and passengers who overpowered attacker and averted 9/11-style disaster
