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Bravery of Israeli passengers on plane

(68 Posts)
Oreo Thu 01-Oct-26 07:47:37

Am so impressed by the actions of the Israeli air passengers that stormed the cockpit and incapacitated the Omani co-pilot even as the plane was plummeting downwards, and the passenger who altered the controls before the two pilots travelling on the plane took over.
How frightening for everyone as the plane dropped so far in a minute or so!
Glad the Indian pilot who was stabbed is now described to be in a stable condition.

Samwam Fri 02-Oct-26 06:49:15

Called it be a fause flag from Israel or not. Council Estate Media questions the inconsistencies how the story keeps changing and Normal Island News the same who writes in satire.

From Council Estate Media.
How the story keeps changing.

Netanyahu’s in trouble and it’s less than a month until polling day. He desperately needed voters to feel that he’s the one who can protect them. Then, right after the Fairford incident, a plane full of Israelis was nearly flown into the ground.
Fighter jets were scrambled as he held emergency talks. Within hours, he was suggesting it was a terror attack and praising the Israelis who stopped it. “We know that he underwent radical Islamist indoctrination,” he said. He figured that out quickly, didn’t he?
Suddenly, the news cycle switched from Netanyahu’s legal problems to “they’re still trying to kill Jews.” We’ve heard a million versions of this story. Here’s what we’re now being told:
An aircraft left Dubai with about 180 people on board and a couple of hours in, transmitted an emergency squawk and a hijack code. This was odd because planes are meant to be hijack-proof. Now consider that it happened right at the moment when tracking data would be public and phones were recording.
Passengers captured the moment the plane plummeted by 17,000 feet. It manoeuvred erratically before stabilising and safely landing at Tabuk in Saudi Arabia. Both pilots were hospitalised and some of the passengers and crew suffered minor injuries.
The story has changed multiple times, but initially it was that the plane plummeted, and then the captain was stabbed by the co-pilot who yelled “Allahu Akbar”, and then passengers broke into the cockpit and saved the day.
This made no sense, not least because the cockpit door’s reinforced. From the outside, it can only be opened with a code—and that request has to be accepted or rejected by the pilot.
The story was updated so that the stabbing took place first, and then the plane plummeted and the injured captain managed to open the door. Some claims are that he used his foot, which would seem unlikely. The opening mechanism needs to be pushed down and twisted. Also, the attacker would’ve seen him doing this because it lies between the chairs.
Surely the attacker would’ve stabbed the captain in the jugular from behind, and then stabbed him a couple of more times to make sure he was dead, and then flew the plane into the ground. How did he do such a bad job? And how did that knife make it past screening into a cockpit?
To add to the confusion, Netanyahu has suggested the weapon was an axe rather than a knife, contradicting witnesses.
Let’s assume the co-pilot made a poor attempt at the stabbing/axing. In that case, why did the plane plummet? If the captain was not incapacitated and in a position to fight back, surely the co-pilot wouldn’t have been in charge of the controls.
We’re told the captain used the last moments of his energy to open the door, somehow without the co-pilot noticing, and then slumped in front of the door, blocking it. Passengers then had difficulty opening the door because he was in the way.
When passengers entered the cabin, they restrained the co-pilot (without anyone being stabbed/axed), gave him a beating and tied him up. A plumber then took control of the plane, using knowledge gained from watching accident-investigation programs!
From what I’ve gathered, the plumber stabilised the plane and then two off-duty pilots conveniently took over. A passenger says he had to shake those pilots and tell them to get to the front. I’ve no idea why they needed prompting.
Some media outlets told us the captain and co-pilot were Russian and Ukrainian, which doesn’t fit the Jihadist narrative. The story was later updated so that they were Indian and Omani. The problem is that Omani pilots aren’t allowed under existing arrangements with Israel.
Let’s examine all the footage to see if it helps. The video of the dive is the least convincing piece of evidence. Did someone just happen to be filming in a plane at the time of descent? Or did they suddenly start filming when everyone else was screaming and flailing? Either way, it’s certainly odd behaviour. It gets odder when you consider there are multiple videos of the dive.
The best evidence is a pixelated video of the injured captain. You can’t see anything graphic, but the actions and speech of the passengers seem natural enough. A shorter video shows glimpses of the captain’s unpixellated body, but I couldn’t find a video showing stab wounds.
No evidence has been presented of a terror connection and some Israeli officials are saying the co-pilot acted alone. Others are still pushing the Iran narrative.
This is a pattern that we see again and again: Israelis politicise an event before they know what took place. Either it’s shameless opportunism or it’s pre-planned.
If it was a terror attack, it was a hopeless effort, just like Fairford. We have no deaths, a bunch of heroes, and a narrative that paints a picture of Israel being under threat. Netanyahu's taking every photo opportunity and treating it as a PR exercise. Regardless of whether this was real or a false flag, it benefits him.

Sago Fri 02-Oct-26 07:21:45

Thank you Samwam but I have to say what a dreadful post.

For anyone not in the know this is a summary of Council Estate Media;

Council Estate Media is rated as left-biased with mixed factual reporting by independent media evaluation groups like Media Bias Fact Check.
Reliability and Bias Profile
• Factual Rating: Mixed. This means the platform sometimes publishes unverified, speculative, or strongly framed claims alongside other commentary.
• Political Bias: Left-leaning. Content heavily favors progressive or left-wing viewpoints, often using emotionally charged language and strong ideological framing in its story selection and commentary.
• Sourcing: Reports often rely on specific political commentary and subjective viewpoints rather than strict, neutral mainstream journalistic standards or comprehensive multi-source verification.
When consuming content from Council Estate Media, view it as partisan commentary and independent opinion rather than neutral or fully verified hard news. Cross-reference their claims with established, highly factual, and mainstream reporting outlets.

Chocolatelovinggran Fri 02-Oct-26 07:56:28

Both Samwam and Sago's posts made for interesting reading. I have to say, that a plane plummeting to the ground is the stuff of nightmares.
A couple of things raised by Samwam have bothered me, however. How were the passengers able to access the cockpit?
I understood that since the Twin Towers events, this was made impossible.
Could you suggest how this might have happened, Sago?
How is it likely that in a closed space, with one perpetrator wielding a knife, and the other unarmed, that the victim would survive?
I don't know what occurred on this aeroplane, but, I'm not sure that we have the complete picture, either from one biased news source, or another.

FriedGreenTomatoes2 Fri 02-Oct-26 08:10:09

I was wondering how long it would take for the Israelis to be blamed for their own horror story. To be honest I think that’s why this thread hasn’t gained much traction. There will be many Hamas (and others) supporters in my opinion who just cannot bring themselves to offer praise for heroics nor support for their terror.

Galaxy Fri 02-Oct-26 08:12:18

If you read any mainstream news outlet you will see the pilot whilst stabbed released the door.

Casdon Fri 02-Oct-26 08:13:48

Conspiracy theories abound on any news you care to mention these days, don’t they? There must be millions out there with nothing better to do than dream them up.

Sago Fri 02-Oct-26 08:17:00

FriedGreenTomatoes2

I was wondering how long it would take for the Israelis to be blamed for their own horror story. To be honest I think that’s why this thread hasn’t gained much traction. There will be many Hamas (and others) supporters in my opinion who just cannot bring themselves to offer praise for heroics nor support for their terror.

Exactly this.
Thank you FGT.

Wyllow3 Fri 02-Oct-26 08:24:21

Giving the details on the rating isn't really helpful as we have for example GB news and the DM rated as right and with some of the similar features as Council Estate Media except in a different directions. One doesn't disregard either but checks further instead of instant condemnation. It seems the hero was Indian.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c639m98gde00o

It is everyone's nightmare indeed but I want to wait before making a full assessment which is why I hadn't posted yet. After all the hooha around Fairfield its wise to pause.

Here is the Guardian just one hour ago trying to separate fact from fiction

www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/02/friday-briefing-how-we-covered-the-flydubai-incident-as-it-unfolded

Oreo Fri 02-Oct-26 08:25:59

When I started this I did wonder if it would get as many posts as ‘my favourite teatowel’ type of thread.
A really shocking air incident where hundreds of people including children could have died where one of the two pilots stabbed the other and allowed the plane to plummet is the stuff of nightmares for us all.
But wait… these people are mainly Jews, and Israelis as well.
I think that is the reason for lack of traction Sago.What else could it be? Awful eh?
As for Samwan all I shall say is that all her posts about anything to do with the Middle East are always heavily pro Palestinian and anti-Israel, so she would be favouring a conspiracy theory.
The injured Indian pilot managed to open the door to the cockpit and yell for help, that’s already been established.

Jaberwok Fri 02-Oct-26 08:33:41

Maybe the knife was snuggled on board by 'someone else' who was perhaps checking the plane before it took off? Otherwise it does seem like a breakdown of security for that pilot to be able to take one on board. Oh my goodness how frightening that must have been. Thank goodness it was resolved safely by those very brave men.

Wyllow3 Fri 02-Oct-26 08:42:06

Oreo its quite proper to investigate every element of the accounts given the current charged situation and not just accept Netanyahu's version which may or not be entirely accurate.

Look at the complexity of finding out the "who" of 9/11 and how long it took.

Wyllow3 Fri 02-Oct-26 08:45:17

Yes Samwan has a known long term POV but she is not the only one posting on this thread with known opinions.

Chocolatelovinggran Fri 02-Oct-26 08:51:43

Exactly so, Wyllow.

Oreo Fri 02-Oct-26 08:53:19

Of course Wyllow3 as every air incident has to be looked at, whether this particular one was the Omani co-pilot simply hating the Indian pilot for some reason, or was depressed and wanting to die and take everyone with him, or working for Iran or joining in a violent pro Palestinian cause.
The reason is the secondary thing to most of us and all the passengers on that plane, all they thought was that they were going to die that day.
Anyone who has ever got on a plane can identify with that thought.
All any poster has to comment is how frightening a scenario it must have been for those passengers as they fell downwards for several minutes.

Wyllow3 Fri 02-Oct-26 08:58:06

Oh my yes, Oreo.
It has to be all our nightmares, hasn't it?

And the bravery never to be forgotten when people step up like this. I recall on one of the 9/11 planes the incredible bravery of those who knew they would be likely to die but saved where it crashed.

Oreo Fri 02-Oct-26 09:00:44

Known opinions?
Please read all my posts on this particular thread and you will see that I am not pushing any opinions other than that this is a shocking air incident that I imagined we could all get behind.
You don’t need to make a full assessment of the situation to say anything at all about a horror situation on a plane where hundreds could have died.

Wyllow3 Fri 02-Oct-26 09:02:02

The Guardian article I posted above has a very level headed detailed assessment of various possibilities but does not commit itself to any one assumption. Which is wise.

Oreo Fri 02-Oct-26 09:02:34

Wyllow3

Oh my yes, Oreo.
It has to be all our nightmares, hasn't it?

And the bravery never to be forgotten when people step up like this. I recall on one of the 9/11 planes the incredible bravery of those who knew they would be likely to die but saved where it crashed.

Exactly.
And remember the conspiracy theories around 9/11 ? That it was all a Zionist plot or set up by the Americans themselves.

Fallingstar Fri 02-Oct-26 09:04:09

Chocolatelovinggran

Both Samwam and Sago's posts made for interesting reading. I have to say, that a plane plummeting to the ground is the stuff of nightmares.
A couple of things raised by Samwam have bothered me, however. How were the passengers able to access the cockpit?
I understood that since the Twin Towers events, this was made impossible.
Could you suggest how this might have happened, Sago?
How is it likely that in a closed space, with one perpetrator wielding a knife, and the other unarmed, that the victim would survive?
I don't know what occurred on this aeroplane, but, I'm not sure that we have the complete picture, either from one biased news source, or another.

I think passengers could access the cockpit because the stabbed pilot was able to open the door which is usually locked. If he hadn’t been able to do this I dread to think what could have happened.

MT62 Fri 02-Oct-26 09:06:12

Apparently it was a mother & child popping to the loo that heard the commotion in the cockpit, alerted a flight attendant sitting nearby.
All very brave people indeed.
Hats off to the Saudis, who took care of these passengers when that pilot bravely landed that plane without any rudder, only using the nose wheel for guidance 👏👏👏👏

Fallingstar Fri 02-Oct-26 09:08:25

Oreo

Known opinions?
Please read all my posts on this particular thread and you will see that I am not pushing any opinions other than that this is a shocking air incident that I imagined we could all get behind.
You don’t need to make a full assessment of the situation to say anything at all about a horror situation on a plane where hundreds could have died.

Agree totally Oreo.
This was a horrifying incident that innocent passengers will have been traumatised by and let’s not forget the pilot who was stabbed, hoping he recovers soon.

Whitewavemark2 Fri 02-Oct-26 09:20:06

I can’t imagine how frightening this experience must have been, and it is astounding given the way the plane behaved that there were no serious injuries, or indeed any injuries of any significance at all - as a result of a sudden drop of 14000 ft in seconds - all passengers carried on with their journey.

And the fact that the plane held together without breaking apart, given the strain on it - except for a bit of the tail.

What brave souls they were, especially as the plane was behaving so erratically - to totter up to the flight cabin and overwhelm the perpetrator.

Nothing is yet known about the motive for the first officers actions. That has yet to be established by UEA. Any other explanation we might have heard can be taken with a pinch of salt. This story is as yet unfinished.

Galaxy Fri 02-Oct-26 09:41:05

For those questioning the door issue BBC headlines currently have an interview with him which details what happened.
I agree with Oreo as well. It is not just the horror of the incident, as terrifying as that was, it is also what could have happened if they hadn't been so courageous.

Rosie51 Fri 02-Oct-26 10:01:01

Some of us didn't come on or post on the site yesterday at all. I was horrified about the incident and can only echo the sentiments of those praising the courageous pilot and the calm-headed actions of those passengers that brought the plane back under control, saving not only their lives but who knows how many others had the plane crashed into a populated area.
I, like FGT, wondered how long before anti Israeli blame and explanations would be proffered. Not long it turned out.

merlotgran Fri 02-Oct-26 10:21:04

I, like FGT, wondered how long before anti Israeli blame and explanations would be proffered. Not long it turned out.

I wondered why it took a while for this thread to be started in the first place.
Thank you, Oreo

It’s not the first time Israeli courage needs to be applauded. The dancing, singing, cheering and flag waving at Ben Gurion airport reminded me of the incredible Entebbe rescue in 1976.

Israelis are brought up with the saying, ‘Every citizen is a front line soldier.’