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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Stanley Murphy-Johns

British pilot heroically helped land FlyDubai plane after cockpit stabbing

  • An Omani co-pilot on a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv reportedly stabbed his colleague and attempted to crash the plane containing 180 passengers, Israel has said.
  • Passengers and crew broke into the cockpit to overpower the attacker after the aircraft plunged 17,000 feet in just two minutes. An off-duty British pilot also stepped in to help land the plane safely in Saudi Arabia after chaos broke out in the cabin on Wednesday.
  • The airline said in a statement that the underlying reasons for the event remained unknown and warned against premature speculation. The cause of the violent altercation between the pilots is not yet clear.
  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commended the bravery of those who intervened and ordered enhanced security protocols for incoming flights.
  • A spokesperson for Flydubai told The Independent that an “altercation occurred in the flight deck” before the aircraft was “secured by on-duty Flydubai crew”.

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