Bravery of Israeli passengers on plane

I congratulate the passengers who intervened and the pilots who landed the aircraft.

More information coming out, the Omani co-pilot was trying to carry out a terror attack and crash the plane.
He used the cockpit crash axe on the pilot.

The Indian pilot, Smit is being interviewed on tv, what a credit to pilots everywhere he is 😃
He and the passengers who helped tie up the co-pilot deserve medals.

Without the pilot, despite being injured, opening the cockpit door this would have ended in tragedy. What an incredibly brave man. So too were the passengers who overpowered the co-pilot.

I can't begin to imagine how horrifying this ordeal must have been for all involved

Apparently the little girl yelled, ‘knife, knife’ and other words that alerted passengers. Her father heard her and was one of the men who stormed the cockpit.
There are many accounts being published now as well as mobile phone footage.

I have a new respect for plumbers. 👏👏

Thank you Casden.

I saw it in the Times Magenta8, here is a photo of the front page.

Just been on a plane, so sympathy for all.
The story here just now is all about the Indian Pilot.

Galaxy

Reading the piece on the pilot who foiled that attack is fascinating. Also the mother and daughter who were simply going to the toilet.

I tried to find out more about the mother and daughter but I could only find it reported by the Daily Express which has a paywall. Do you have any more links/details?

Rosie51

Magenta8 has anyone not praised the bravery of the pilot? I thought we'd all, except for those that questioned he'd actually been able to release the cockpit door lock, had lauded his courage.

Yes several posters, including the the OP. They not only did not praise the pilot, they also failed to mention him and a number of posters dismissed his contribution.

My remarks were aimed at those few. It was not a blanket statement against every comment.

Reading the piece on the pilot who foiled that attack is fascinating. Also the mother and daughter who were simply going to the toilet.

Netanyahu has an election to win, expect some silliness from him.

Yes the meaning is perfectly clear Rosie

Thank you for the link to the article in The Guardian Wyllow, it is as you say a level headed piece of journalism highlighting the complexities of trying to sort fact from fiction.

I don't think it is wrong or unreasonable to question Netanyahu's version of events, the man IMO can hardly be seen as honest and doing so does not mitigate the bravery of those on board and/or the terror they experienced.

sorry for that grammatically contorted sentence but I think the meaning is clear!

Magenta8 has anyone not praised the bravery of the pilot? I thought we'd all, except for those that questioned he'd actually been able to release the cockpit door lock, had lauded his courage.

As Fallingstar mentions, the Israelis were only able to land the plane after the badly injured pilot pressed the release button which enabled entry to the cockpit.

Let us not dismiss the part played by "the Indian." His name is Smit Machchhar he is a Hindu and his part in averting the tragedy can be mentioned without detracting from the subsequent bravery and resourcefulness of the Israelis.

The Indian Prime Minister posted the following:- "In the face of gravest danger and despite being seriously injured, he showed immense courage and unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others. His valour helped save hundreds of lives and avert a great tragedy."

Israeli sources have also praised him and acknowledged his bravery.

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.’

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 👏👏👏👏

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.

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.