Stories
Fly Dubai Case: 'I need to go to the toilet...' 6-year-old Nina saved 180 lives!
- •An Omani co-pilot attempted to hijack and crash a 'Fly Dubai' flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv by attacking the main pilot with a knife.
- •The lives of 180 passengers were saved thanks to 6-year-old Nina and the bravery of the Indian pilot.
- •At 30,000 feet, Nina's need to use the toilet led her mother to witness the co-pilot stabbing the main pilot, Captain Smit Machhar, inside the cockpit.
- •Despite severe injuries, Captain Smit Machhar pressed the cockpit's 'emergency release lock' button, allowing passengers to intervene.
- •Passengers apprehended the co-pilot, and off-duty pilots on board took control, safely landing the plane in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Key Questions Answered
When 6-year-old Nina told her mother she needed to use the toilet near the cockpit, her mother noticed the cockpit door slightly open and saw the co-pilot stabbing the main pilot. Her screams and the ensuing commotion alerted passengers and crew, prompting them to rush to the cockpit and stop the attack.
The Indian-origin main pilot was Captain Smit Machhar. Despite suffering severe knife wounds and losing a significant amount of blood, he managed to press the cockpit's emergency release lock button, allowing passengers and crew to enter and subdue the attacker.
An Omani co-pilot attacked the main pilot with a knife in an attempt to hijack and crash the flight at 30,000 feet, causing the aircraft to lose control and rapidly descend. Off-duty pilots traveling on the plane took over controls, communicated with air traffic control, and safely landed the aircraft in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
