‘He Was a Hero’: Trump Hails Indian Pilot Smit Machchhar After flydubai Cockpit Attack
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
US President Donald Trump hailed Indian flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar as a “hero” for resisting a knife attack by his co-pilot during a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight.
Trump said Machchhar was in “very bad shape” after being stabbed during the cockpit struggle but still managed to respond to the attack.
Trump Recalls Cockpit Attack
Describing the incident, Trump said the pilot opened the cockpit door, fell back and screamed for help after the co-pilot allegedly attacked him with a knife.
“The pilot was in very bad shape; I guess he still is in very bad shape, but he had the sense to, amazing, to, in a way he was a hero,” Trump said.
Trump, while recalling a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said the co-pilot “was perhaps a terrorist or perhaps a whack job” and had stabbed the pilot.
Machchhar reportedly fought back against the co-pilot and helped prevent the situation from escalating into what multiple media reports described as a potential “9/11-style” attack.
Passenger Steps In To Restrain Co-Pilot
Trump also praised an Israeli passenger who intervened during the struggle inside the cockpit.
According to Trump, the passenger entered the cockpit, pulled the co-pilot from his seat and threw him backwards. Other passengers then helped restrain him until additional pilots and security personnel took control.
Trump described the passenger as a plumber with no flying experience but said he had watched the television programme Air Disasters and picked up some basic knowledge about flying.
“He said he watches it a lot, and he learned from watching that show sort of how to fly,” Trump said.
Flight Diverted To Saudi Arabia
The flydubai aircraft was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia after Machchhar and passengers helped restrain the co-pilot.
Authorities on the ground later took control of the aircraft and dealt with the incident.
Israel is treating the episode as a “terrorist attack”, while an investigation is underway into the cockpit fight and the co-pilot’s alleged motive.
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