US President Donald Trump shared an account from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding a mid-flight confrontation on a Flydubai aircraft.
Key facts
- •Donald Trump said he discussed the Flydubai incident at length with Benjamin Netanyahu.
- •Trump claimed the co-pilot may have been a 'terrorist' or 'whack-job' who stabbed the pilot.
- •The account suggests an Israeli plumber with no flight experience stabilized the plane.
- •Netanyahu reportedly told Trump the passenger learned to fly by watching 'Air Disasters'.
- •Flydubai confirmed the incident is under formal investigation to determine the motives.
US President Donald Trump stated on Wednesday that he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding an incident aboard a Flydubai flight traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Trump relayed an account in which a co-pilot allegedly stabbed the pilot, prompting an Israeli passenger—described by Trump as a plumber—to intervene and stabilize the aircraft. Trump noted that he could not independently verify the details of the story provided by Netanyahu.
Details of the Reported Incident
According to the account Trump attributed to Netanyahu, the passenger intervened after hearing screaming and observing the situation in the flight deck. The passenger, who reportedly had no prior flight experience, allegedly took control of the aircraft and leveled it out before it could crash. Trump stated that Netanyahu credited the passenger’s ability to handle the plane to his frequent viewing of the television program 'Air Disasters.'
Official Status of the Investigation
Reports indicate that the confrontation between the pilots triggered a hijacking code, and the aircraft subsequently landed in Saudi Arabia. Flydubai has stated that the motives and circumstances surrounding the altercation remain unknown and are currently under formal investigation. The flight was carrying 174 passengers at the time of the incident.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Anadolu Agency Middle East, Al Jazeera.
