Passengers overpower radicalised co-pilot on Flydubai flight
Passengers on Flydubai flight 1073 stopped a terrorist attack by overpowering an Omani co-pilot. After his arrest, conflicts arose between the passengers and the crew.
Passengers overpower radicalised co-pilot on Flydubai flight
Passengers on Flydubai flight 1073 prevented a terrorist attack, according to witnesses. The Omani co-pilot had attacked the pilot in the cockpit with an emergency axe and intended to crash the aircraft over Israeli territory, investigators determined. Despite suffering severe injuries, the pilot managed to open the cockpit door, whereupon three Israeli passengers overpowered the attacker.
Tzvika Manes, a bank manager among the passengers, told the US newspaper "New York Post" that the crew made surprising demands after the co-pilot's arrest: "They asked us to untie the terrorist. We had no idea why." A second passenger, real estate agent Daniel Schlichter, confirms this account. "They told us that we should release the terrorist. That's when we immediately became suspicious."
After overpowering him, the three passengers restrained the co-pilot with cable ties and headphone cables. Some crew members subsequently insisted on releasing him. Manes quotes one of the crew members: "You are not God, you may not kill him." The passengers responded that they had no intention of killing him, but rather wanted to protect themselves. "We just wanted him not to kill us."
According to Schlichter's account, the flight attendants insisted that they had control of the aircraft and that no one besides them was permitted in the cockpit area. However, the Israeli passengers feared possible collusion between the crew and the co-pilot. A group of passengers subsequently moved the crew to seats in the fifth or sixth row. Schlichter describes the situation: "We shouted at them and told them to sit down."
Two other pilots, who were on board for the return flight, stabilised the aircraft and diverted it to Saudi Arabia. Flight 1073 was en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv and had predominantly Israeli passengers on board. The co-pilot remained under surveillance by the passengers until landing.
To date, according to n-tv, there is no evidence that the crew was actually involved in the co-pilot's plans. When asked about the crew's conduct, Flydubai stated that it could not comment while investigations were ongoing.
Source: n-tv