Trump says flydubai pilot ‘a hero’, plumber steadied plunging aircraft

U.S. President Donald Trump hailed the flydubai pilot as a “hero” for fighting off a knife attack from the co-pilot, opening the cockpit door and calling for help to foil a bid to crash the aircraft.

Interacting with reporters at the Oval Office, Mr. Trump said he spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who told him that a plumber, who had never flown an aircraft, made a dramatic intervention to steady the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight which landed in Saudi Arabia.

The pilot who staved off the attempt to crash the aircraft has been identified as Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, and hailed a “hero” by Mr. Netanyahu and many others.

“The pilot was in very bad shape; I guess he still is in very bad shape, but he had the sense to, amazing, to, in a way he was a hero,” Mr. Trump said, recalling his conversation with Netanyahu.

Mr. Trump said the pilot opened the door and was able to fall back, get the door open and scream for help.

“It seems as though the co-pilot was perhaps a terrorist or perhaps a whack job, and he stabbed the pilot,” the U.S. President said.

Mr. Trump then described what he called an “amazing” intervention by an Israeli passenger whom he identified as a plumber.

Mr. Trump said a passenger, who had never flown an aircraft, entered the cockpit, pulled the co-pilot out of his seat and threw him backwards, where other passengers helped restrain him.

According to Mr. Trump, the passenger later said he had learned some basic concepts about flying from watching the television program Air Disasters.

“He said he watches it a lot, and he learned from watching that show sort of how to fly,” Mr. Trump said.

Mr. Trump said additional pilots and security personnel, who had been toward the rear of the aircraft, subsequently reached the cockpit and took control.

“I think it’s the most amazing story,” he said.

However, Mr. Trump said that he was merely recounting an account he had received rather than independently confirmed facts.

“Now this is the story that I heard. I don’t know if it’s true, but that’s the story that I got from Bibi and from a couple of probably early [sources],” he said.