Omani Co-Pilot Grounded Over Extremist Fears Accused in FlyDubai Hijacking Attempt
Incident on Dubai-to-Israel Flight
The co-pilot accused of stabbing his captain in an attempted hijacking of a FlyDubai flight to Israel had previously been banned from flying in Oman over concerns he had adopted radical ideological views. [1] The pilot who is suspected of wanting to crash a plane heading to Israel was banned from flying in his home country of Oman due to concerns that he had developed extremist views, a source told the news agency AP. [2] The Flydubai attack suspect was removed by another airline over concerns about his extremist views. [3] The co-pilot was later hired by FlyDubai, with the source stating anonymously amid the ongoing investigation that it remains unclear how thorough a background check was conducted when he was employed in the United Arab Emirates. [2] Oman's decision to bar the pilot from flying was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. [2]
Co-Pilot's Prior Grounding in Oman
Reports indicate that Oman grounded the FlyDubai co-pilot as a security risk after concerns arose that he had adopted radical ideological views. [1] The pilot suspected in the attempted hijacking of the flight to Israel had been banned from flying in Oman because of worries he had acquired extremist attitudes, according to a source speaking to AP. [2] The Flydubai attack suspect was removed by another airline over concerns about his extremist views, sources say. [3] The co-pilot was subsequently employed by FlyDubai, though the extent of the background verification performed at the time of hiring in the United Arab Emirates has not been clarified. [2] The Wall Street Journal first disclosed Oman's action to prevent the pilot from operating aircraft. [2]
Passenger Intervention and Captain's Actions
The FlyDubai flight was en route from Dubai in the Emirates to Tel Aviv in Israel when the Omani co-pilot stabbed the Indian captain Smit Machchhar. [2] The plane then plunged steeply as the two struggled for control of the aircraft. [2] The injured captain managed to open the cockpit door, after which several passengers overpowered the co-pilot. [2] One of the passengers halted the plane's uncontrolled descent toward the ground in a manner so abrupt that the aircraft's rudder broke. [2] The damaged captain later participated in a video call with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi. [2]
Flight Details and Aftermath
The FlyDubai aircraft carried 174 passengers on board, of whom 166 were Israelis. [2] Following the struggle and the resulting damage, the plane made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. [2] Another FlyDubai flight then transported the passengers onward to Tel Aviv after the incident. [2] The co-pilot accused in the stabbing and takeover attempt had been grounded previously in Oman due to radical ideological concerns before his employment with FlyDubai. [1] The background check performed upon his hiring by the airline remains of uncertain thoroughness according to the source. [2]
What to watch next is further details from the ongoing investigation into the hiring process and the sequence of events aboard the aircraft, as described by sources speaking anonymously.
