flydubai passengers refused to free co-pilot at crew's request
What's the story
A new video has emerged showing the Omani co-pilot, who allegedly tried to crash a flydubai flight, sitting on his knees with his hands tied behind his back. The incident occurred on a flydubai flight heading to Tel Aviv. In the footage released by Israeli news channel i24NEWS, passengers can be heard repeatedly saying "just police" and "only police" to crew who wanted to untie the co-pilot.
Passenger intervention
Co-pilot attacked pilot with a crash ax
The incident unfolded when Indian pilot Smit Machchhar was attacked with a crash ax by the co-pilot, Hamam al-Hammami.
Despite his injuries, Machchhar managed to alert the crew and open the cockpit door.
Several passengers, including off-duty pilots, intervened and overpowered al-Hammami. They then tied him up and demanded that he be handed over to local police instead of being released by the flight crew.
Crew confrontation
Passengers refused to untie al-Hammami
The passengers, however, refused a request from the flight crew to untie al-Hammami. They were suspicious of the crew's intentions and feared possible involvement in the attack.
Banking executive Tzvika Manes recalled their concerns, saying, "They were asking us to untie the terrorist - we had no idea why."
Real estate professional Daniel Schlichter echoed similar sentiments, adding, "They were saying to free the terrorist - we got instantly suspicious of them."
Survival efforts
Passengers prioritized al-Hammami's survival
Despite their suspicions, the passengers prioritized al-Hammami's survival so he could be questioned by authorities.
They gave him an oxygen mask and refused to let him go until police arrived.
The cabin crew asked passengers to return to their seats, but they insisted on keeping the area near the cockpit secure until local law enforcement arrived.
Legal proceedings
Al-Hammami was banned from flying in Oman
Al-Hammami is now in the custody of UAE authorities. Reports suggest that he was previously banned from flying in Oman over his extremist views.
The incident has raised questions about security protocols on international flights and the role of flight crews during emergencies.
During a video call with PM Netanyahu on October 3, Machchhar shared details about the attack and his actions in response.