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How a 6-year-old's washroom trip with mom helped raise alarm on flydubai flight
On the flydubai flight FZ1073, the co-pilot stabbed Indian Captain Smit Machchhar, who fought back and managed to open the cockpit door.
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A six-year-old girl's request to her mother to take her to the lavatory aboard the flydubai flight to Tel Aviv helped raise alarm over the cockpit attack on Indian pilot Smit Machchhar, and played an important role in averting a disaster.
Nina Manes, 6, asked her mother, Tali, to take her to the lavatory. Near the cockpit, they overheard shouting as the copilot stabbed Smit Machchhar, according to a report by the Independent.
Also Read | UAE maintains radio silence on flydubai Omani co-pilot’s identity, conspiracy angle as probe seeks answers
Deep Dive
Tali quickly raised the alarm to alert nearby passengers. She later recalled seeing blood across the cockpit during a violent struggle.
According to the report, Tali Manes told Israel's Channel 12, “There was blood all over the cockpit and very, very sharp fighting moves.” Her husband, Zvika, described the trauma of his daughters' "shrieks" as the aircraft nose-dived.
Also Read | Flydubai co-pilot was banned by Oman over radical views, terrorist images found on social media: Reports
According to a report by Al Arabiya and news agency AP, the Omani pilot behind the stabbing attack has been identified as Hamam al-Hammami. However, there is no official confirmation on the name yet.
He was banned from flying previously by Omani authorities for his radical ideological views, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Also Read | Omani co-pilot linked to Flydubai cockpit attack identified
What happened on flydubai flight?
The flydubai flight FZ1073, carrying 174 passengers, left Dubai International Airport for Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.
About two hours into the flight, the co-pilot attacked and stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar.
Machchhar fought back and managed to open the cockpit door. This enabled passengers to overpower the attacker. Notably, all passengers and crew survived the incident.
Machchhar is recovering in an Abu Dhabi hospital.
Machchhar spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the phone on Friday and recounted the terrifying moments after being attacked.
"I was fighting for my life, but I was determined not to let others die," flydubai captain Smit Machchhar told PM Modi.
"I was fighting for my life, but I was determined not to let others die. It was such a crucial moment. There was a moment when I realised that if I didn't do something - because I was lying on the ground (in the cockpit), I could feel that the aircraft was going down," he said.
"At that time, I thought if I don't get up... I have been flying planes for 17 years, I have been a Captain for the last 11 years, and I know what is happening in an aircraft even with my eyes closed. When I was lying down below, I knew for a fact that if I could make one last push - the door was right there. Even while I was still taking blows, I could just open the door," he said.
(with inputs from agencies)
