‘Religious extremist, refused handshakes with women’: What we know about Flydubai attacker

Israeli authorities are investigating the midair crisis on a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv after a co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and attempted to take control of the aircraft.The incident is being probed as a possible attempted terrorist attack, while the alleged attacker, an Omani national, has been taken into custody by Saudi authorities. The motive remains unclear, but reports cited a fellow pilot who described the man as displaying what he considered unusually strict religious behaviour.Also read: The pilot from Mumbai who proved to be the heroThe reports have also raised questions over how the Omani national was cleared to operate a flight to Israel, given that Oman does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.‘Prayed excessively, refused handshakes’According to the Times of Israel, a fellow pilot told Israel’s Channel 16 that the alleged attacker had joined Flydubai about eight months ago.“He prayed excessively throughout the day and refused to shake hands with women,” the pilot was quoted as saying.The Daily Mail, citing the same account, reported that the colleague described the pilot as a “religious extremist” whose behaviour was considered out of step with his surroundings at the airline.The reports did not establish that the man’s religious practices were themselves evidence of a motive for the attack. Israeli authorities have said they were investigating whether the incident constituted an attempted terror attack, while the motive had not been immediately established.The Daily Mail also reported that a source described as a colleague expressed regret over the airline’s decision to have the man on the flight, saying the incident had nearly resulted in the deaths of those onboard. The report quoted the source as questioning how the Omani national had been assigned to a flight bound for Israel.14,000ft plunge before passengers intervenedThe confrontation began while the aircraft was cruising towards Israel. According to accounts cited by the Times of Israel and Daily Mail, the attacker stabbed Machchhar before attempting to prevent access to the cockpit and interfere with the aircraft's controls.The aircraft then underwent a dramatic descent. The Daily Mail reported that it dropped about 14,000ft in 29 seconds, while the Times of Israel cited eyewitness accounts of a descent of around 17,000ft in two minutes.Passenger Yaniv Hayoun said he and others heard screaming and felt the aircraft plunge before forcing their way into the cockpit. He said he saw the attacker apparently attempting to damage the controls, grabbed him and pulled him away.Other passengers and crew then joined the struggle, while Hayoun said he grabbed the controls and pulled them in the direction he had seen on television. Crew members subsequently took over.Captain Machchhar, despite being seriously wounded, was able to open the cockpit door and resist the attacker, allowing passengers and crew to overpower him. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu credited the Indian captain with saving all 174 people onboard.The aircraft eventually made an emergency landing at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia. Machchhar was hospitalised in stable condition, according to the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia, while the alleged attacker was taken into Saudi custody.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.