FlyDubai – not
It seems that we had a Flight 93 situation with a happier ending. But then again, compared to 9/11, this time the terrorists didn’t have to slay both pilots to take over the plane. The terrorist was one of the original pilots.
So much progress in 25 years.
The FlyDubai Boeing 737 Max 8 plane flying to Tel Aviv from the United Arab Emirates was cruising at around 34,000 feet when one of the pilots tried to take control in what Israeli sources say was an attempted hijacking, the Jerusalem Post reported.
“One pilot stabbed the other and tried to do 9/11,” an official told Channel 12 of the horror that saw Israeli fighter jets scrambled as a precaution.
Some of the 174 passengers onboard also filmed horrific footage of one of the pilots covered in blood.
“We’re here during the hijacking of an airplane. At this point we’ve subdued the terrorists,” one passenger said, begging for help as blood ran down his head. …
The atttacker is believed to be Omani and had worked at FlyDubai for less than a year, sources told the Jerusalem Post.
It might be time to step up the vetting process for FlyDubai pilots. Then again, people can be very duplicitous.
Two off-duty pilots were able to land the plane; the rudder had been damaged during the incident. The perpetrator – the co-pilot – is still alive and is under arrest. And here’s an article about the off-duty pilots who landed the plane, one of whom is said to have been British.
On the other hand, we have the NY Times coverage of the incident. There’s this:
“Flight to Israel Diverted After Cockpit Clash”
Passengers intervened after a clash broke out in the cockpit of a flight to Tel Aviv from Dubai, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, according to accounts from those on board.
A clash broke out. No perpetrator. It takes some skill to write a headline like that. And even if it was based on earlier, incomplete reports, why is that headline and intro still up there? Google tells me the article is from 44 minutes ago.
Then we have this Times article, which I will assume was originally written later:
“Live Updates: Plane to Israel Narrowly Averts Disaster After Pilot Stabbing”
Passengers said that they broke into the cockpit and subdued the attacker, who Israeli officials said was one of the pilots. The motive for the attack was not clear.
Another masterpiece of sorts, although far more subtle than the previous one. The plane itself “averts disaster.” And of course, we haven’t a clue what the motive could be.
Of course for the NYT the attempted murder of hundreds of innocent Jews is not “terrorism”, it is deserved revenge for the Sulzberger mob’s shame and disgust at their Jewish heritage. What we have come to expect from the execrable propaganda rag that makes Der Sturmer look like a Hadassah newsletter.
Quoting from Ace of Spades “Well, yes. Overall, the probability that a plane full of Israelis will contain a trained assault team, two additional pilots, and, statistically, at least one cardiac surgeon, psychologist, lawyer, and diamond dealer is substantially higher than 50%.”
I fear Victor Davis Hanson is correct that there will be renewed jihadist violence during this run-up to midterm elections.
See something, say something!
CapnRusty:
Don’t forget dentists. Apparently a dentist was a key player.
Max Afterburner has the heroic angle missing from MSM reports — off-duty pilots took over to land the 737. The rudder is shown to have been sheered off.
Aweful — yet inspiring. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lqwelq62J2g
I see a report that says that most of the rudder was missing when the plane landed. Maybe they had a little bit of rudder control, or possibly not.
I recall the Sioux City United airlines crash in 1989. It was an older instance where most of the flight controls were inoperative. The pilots, including an off-duty pilot (was he an instructor too?) flying as a passenger learned how to control the twin engine plane using the throttles. They came close to landing the plane, but not close enough.
At least these pilots presumably had control of the elevator and ailerons. Now I see the images showing the plane had no rudder at all.