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I wasn't going to let others die, says Indian pilot who opened cockpit door during attack
- On Wednesday, Captain Smit Machchhar was stabbed by his co-pilot during a FlyDubai flight, forcing the Boeing 737 carrying 182 people into a steep descent before diverting to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia for an emergency landing.
- Seriously injured, Machchhar opened the cockpit door to allow passengers to restrain the attacker, later telling Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he realized "if I didn't get up & then passengers would lose their lives."
- Two Flydubai crew members traveling as passengers in a practice known as "deadheading" rushed to the cockpit; passenger Daniel Schlichter described their intervention as "nothing short of a miracle."
- Arrested in Saudi Arabia, the attacker was identified as Hamam Al-Hamami by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who noted the suspect is undergoing interrogation as authorities investigate the unclear motive.
- Despite the heroism displayed, Flydubai has not publicly disclosed the identities of the two additional pilots who helped stabilize the aircraft, even three days after the incident occurred.
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Hero passenger on FlyDubai flight: "I decided that we are going to survive"
"Sunday Morning" talked with passengers who heroically helped avert disaster this past Wednesday by subduing the co-pilot attempting to crash their Boeing 737 Max into the Arabian Desert.
·New York, United States
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Royal Air Maroc denies Flydubai co-pilot ever worked for airline
Royal Air Maroc denied claims that the Flydubai co-pilot accused of attempting a 'terrorist act' aboard flight FZ1073 had worked for the Moroccan carrier, saying his 2025 job application was rejected.
·Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
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The company did not identify them, but a passenger told how they resumed control of the flight after the hijacking attempt
·Italy
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Smit Machchhar described the dramatic moments from the hospital as the wounded man fought for his life and tried to prevent a catastrophe.
·Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Total News Sources620
Leaning Left85Leaning Right98Center153Last UpdatedBias Distribution46% Center
Bias Distribution
- 46% of the sources are Center
46% Center
L 25%
C 46%
R 29%
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