North India Statesman
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has revealed chilling new details surrounding the mid-air cockpit attack aboard flydubai Flight FZ1073, disclosing that the rogue co-pilot screamed “Kill me, kill me” after being overpowered by passengers and crew. Describing the harrowing mid-flight assault as a foiled “9/11-style” catastrophe aimed at crashing the packed Boeing 737 MAX into Israeli territory, Netanyahu stated that preliminary intelligence confirms the assailant had undergone radical Islamist indoctrination. The revelations come as regional and international intelligence services continue interrogating the suspect to determine the full operational scope of the plot.
‘Kill Me, Kill Me’: Chilling Words In The Subdued Cockpit
Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Prime Minister Netanyahu recounted the terrifying final moments inside the flight deck after passengers and off-duty crew breached the door to neutralize the attacker:
“The copilot who attacked the captain is now being interrogated, but here’s what we do know: First, we know that he underwent Islamist radical indoctrination. He was suicidal… After they tackled him, pinned him down, and tied him up, he shouted: ‘Kill me, kill me.’ His sole intention was to die and take everyone on board down with him.”
Netanyahu stated that initial debriefs and recovered background data point to a deeply radicalized mindset. The 33-year-old Omani co-pilot allegedly planned the assault to coincide with the aircraft’s entry toward Israeli airspace, aiming to steer the jet into a catastrophic dive before anyone could intervene.
Averted 9/11 Disaster: How The Plot Was Broken
The attack occurred at 34,000 feet as Flight FZ1073 en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv approached the northern Saudi-Jordanian corridor. Armed with an edged blade, the co-pilot launched a sudden assault on the pilot-in-command, Indian national Captain Smit Machchhar, inflicting severe wounds across his neck and body. The assailant then forced the control column forward, plunging the airliner nearly 16,000 to 17,000 feet in roughly two minutes.
Aviation experts and defense officials affirmed that disaster was narrowly averted because Captain Machchhar, bleeding heavily and slipping from consciousness, managed to hit the emergency cockpit door release switch. The unlocked latch allowed Israeli passenger Yaniv Hayoun and other travelers to burst into the cockpit, drag the assailant off the flight controls, and restrain him with zip-ties. Off-duty pilots travelling as passengers then stepped into the cockpit seats, stabilized the steep dive around 16,600 feet, and executed an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Netanyahu emphasized that had the fortified door remained locked, the attacker would have successfully crashed the airliner, calling the passengers and crew heroes who “prevented another 9/11”.
Scrutiny Over Aviation Screening Loopholes
The incident has triggered severe security reassessments across international aviation corridors. Netanyahu acknowledged that the attacker exploited an operational screening blind spot:
-
Regulatory Loopholes: Israeli security frameworks traditionally mandate that commercial flights entering Israeli airspace cannot be crewed by nationals from countries lacking formal diplomatic relations with Israel. Netanyahu noted that the Omani pilot’s roster assignment represented a significant regulatory lapse that is now being probed.
-
Crew Screening Measures: Aviation regulators in the UAE and internationally are facing pressure to re-evaluate how aircrew bypass standard passenger security checkpoints and to institute frequent psychological evaluations and intelligence vetting.
International Investigation Underway
The suspect remains in custody in Saudi Arabia, where joint security officials from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Israel are conducting interrogations. While Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz labeled the event an attempted jihadist terror attack, authorities note that whether the suspect acted as a self-radicalized lone wolf or under direct foreign proxy instruction remains under active investigation. Meanwhile, flydubai has temporarily suspended operations to Tel Aviv pending the outcome of the security probe.
