Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defense Minister, visited Flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar in hospital Saturday afternoon. The crown prince praised the pilot for his 'courage, responsibility, and concern for human life' after Machchhar subdued an Omani co-pilot who allegedly attempted to crash the Tel Aviv-bound flight earlier this week.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defense Minister, visited Flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar in hospital on Saturday, praising him for displaying 'the highest degrees of courage, responsibility, and concern for human life.' Following the visit, the crown prince tweeted that Machchhar is 'part of our team, part of our homeland's story, and part of the human experience of the UAE.'
On Friday, Machchhar spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi from his hospital bed. The Zioneer reported at 12:05 Jerusalem that the captain recounted fighting for his life and forcing the cockpit door open. A fuller account published at 13:37 described how, bleeding and on the floor, he made a final push to open the door while the attacker continued to strike him. Later on Friday, UAE presidential advisor Anwar Gargash praised Machchhar as a 'true hero' for his actions.
The incident occurred Wednesday when the Omani co-pilot of Flight FZ 1073 allegedly stabbed Machchhar and attempted to crash the Tel Aviv-bound aircraft. Israeli passengers subdued the attacker, and the plane made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where the suspect remains in custody. Israeli leaders characterized the event as terrorism. As The Zioneer reported Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the suspect underwent 'Islamist radical indoctrination,' and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for his extradition. The UAE is conducting an investigation. The condition of the captain was not disclosed following the crown prince's visit.
8 developments
- StrongCaptain Smit Machchhar, wounded in Flydubai cockpit struggle, out of danger – report
- StrongDoctor: 'Within seconds we knew it was a terror attack' – treating stabbed Flydubai pilot
- StrongDr. Musiev recalls Flydubai attack: 'The moment chaos began, we knew it was terror – everyone became heroes'
- DevelopingN12 publishes cockpit footage from Flydubai flight, shows wounded pilot and passengers' arrest fears
Source and signal
- Open-source intake