The Flydubai pilot planned to steer the aircraft into the terminal at Ben Gurion Airport in the final seconds before landing – media
Kyiv • UNN
According to media reports, the co-pilot wanted to crash into the terminal during landing. He was detained after attacking the captain of flight FZ1073.
The detained co-pilot of Flydubai flight FZ1073, who is suspected of attempting to hijack the aircraft, allegedly planned to steer the Boeing into the terminal of Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. This was reported by Amit Segal, a journalist with Israel's Channel 12, writes UNN.
Details
According to him, during questioning the pilot stated that he wanted to make a normal approach to avoid arousing suspicion, and then, in the final seconds, sharply steer the aircraft into the terminal building.
He planned to make a normal approach, and in the final seconds, when it would already have been impossible to intercept the aircraft, steer it into the terminal
Attacked the captain near Israel
According to the journalist, this plan was the reason behind the co-pilot's attack on the aircraft captain during the flight in a region near Israel.
The aircraft captain, Indian citizen Smith Machchhar, managed to open the cockpit door despite his injuries. This allowed crew members and passengers to rush inside and neutralize the attacker.
Earlier, the UAE authorities stated that they regarded the co-pilot's actions as a planned "terrorist act." The investigation into the incident is ongoing.