New Delhi, Oct 4 (IANS) The crew of a hijacked flydubai flight reportedly clashed with Israeli passengers after they subdued an axe-wielding co-pilot who had attacked the pilot.
The passengers, however, refused to release the hijacker despite demands from the cabin crew, according to a media report.
Two Israeli passengers who helped restrain the co-pilot said the crew members repeatedly asked them to free the attacker, leaving the passengers suspicious of the crew’s intentions, reports New York Post.
“They were asking us to untie the terrorist — we had no idea why,” banking executive Tzvika Manes, one of the three civilians who helped overpower the alleged would-be hijacker, said in an exclusive interview with the New York Post.
Real estate professional Daniel Schlichter, who was seated in the second row close to the cockpit, also recalled the tense confrontation with the crew.
“They were saying to free the terrorist — we got instantly suspicious of them,” Schlichter told The Post.
The disagreement escalated into an argument, with the Israeli passengers making it clear that they would not release the co-pilot under any circumstances.
“They said, ‘You are not God, you are not going to kill him,'” Manes recalled. “We didn’t want to kill him, we just wanted him not to kill us.”
The Tel Aviv-bound flydubai flight FZ 1073 was prevented from allegedly crashing after Indian captain Smit Machchhar, who had been attacked with a crash axe, managed to open the cockpit door and alert those on board to the danger.
Within minutes, several passengers, including two off-roster pilots travelling on the flight, intervened and helped regain control of the aircraft, averting what was described as an alleged crash attempt.
The passengers overpowered and restrained the co-pilot, identified as Omani citizen Hamam Al-Hamami, and tied his hands behind his back. They also made it clear that he would remain restrained until he could be handed over to local police.
A video shared by i24NEWS, an Israel-based news channel, showed al-Hammami kneeling inside the aircraft with his hands tied behind his back. His clothes appeared to have bloodstains on them.
In the 45-second video, passengers can repeatedly be heard saying “just police” and “only police”, indicating that they intended to hand the restrained co-pilot over to law enforcement authorities rather than harm him.
One passenger, whose face was not visible and who could not be identified, could also be heard saying, “One hour, 40 minutes. More five minutes.”
The remarks appeared to indicate that the passengers had already kept the co-pilot under control for an extended period and were prepared to hold him for a few more minutes before handing him over to local police.
The Israeli passengers also provided al-Hammami with an oxygen mask, saying they wanted him to remain alive so that authorities could investigate the incident and establish what had happened.
“We wanted him to live so he could be investigated,” Schlichter said.
However, the cabin crew reportedly insisted that the passengers return to their assigned seats and leave the area immediately outside the cockpit.
The Israeli passengers, who had already taken control of the situation and feared that members of the crew could have been involved in the attack, instead instructed the crew members to sit in the middle section of the aircraft.
“We told them, ‘Now the policy is we’re in charge, and you do what we say,'” Manes said.
The incident began when Captain Smit Machchhar managed to unlock the cockpit door. Around the same time, Tali Manes was standing outside a toilet waiting for her daughter when she heard a strange sound coming from inside the flight deck.
She described the noise as being like “something knocking on the door”.
Tali Manes then persuaded a backup pilot travelling on the aircraft to check what was happening inside the cockpit.
When the door was opened, those outside were confronted with a disturbing scene, with the co-pilot attacking and stabbing the pilot. Tali Manes screamed, alerting other passengers and drawing their attention towards the cockpit.
Four Israeli passengers immediately rushed towards the cockpit. They were later joined by two off-roster pilots, who helped take control of the aircraft and subsequently landed it at a small airport in the kingdom.
The passengers who intervened included Yaniv Hayun, a plumber who reportedly choked al-Hammami during the struggle. Hayun was joined by Asaf Rajuan, an insurance agency owner, who assisted in overpowering and restraining al-Hammami during the confrontation.
The two were also joined by Zvika Manes, the CEO of Bank Leumi’s underwriting company, who used earphones to tie up al-Hammami and prevent him from breaking free.
Shota Musaev, a dentist who was reportedly the only doctor travelling on the flight, attended to the seriously injured Captain Machchhar and provided him with first aid after the attack.
Musaev later told CNN that the pilot had suffered extensive injuries and was covered in cuts.
–IANS
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