In short:
Flydubai captain Smit Machchhar, who was attacked by a co-pilot, has described what happened inside the cockpit during a new interview.
asserted
what → attack → interview
Co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami allegedly attempted to crash the flydubai plane carrying 174 passengers en route to Israel.
uncertain
Hammami → attempt → Israel
Emirati authorities allege he was trying to crash the plane into Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.
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he → allege → Aviv
The flydubai pilot who stopped a plane from crashing blocked repeated axe blows to his head before opening the cockpit door and screaming out for help.
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who → stop → help
Captain Smit Machchhar told The National newspaper from his hospital bed that he struggled to stay conscious after being hit in the back of his head.
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he → tell → head
He said before he realised he had been struck by the co-pilot, he was worried there was damage to the roof of the aircraft, which had more than 170 passengers onboard.
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which → say → passengers
"There was a moment that I realised, and I told myself that, Smit, do something," he said.
He calmed himself and said: "You can't die like this."
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You → be → this
Mr Machchhar said he regained his composure, but his vision was restricted.
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vision → say → composure
"I was not able to see something, [but] at that point, I realised what's going on," he said.
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he → see → point
"The first action that I wanted to do was to guard myself from the further hits."
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I → want → hits
Once he began guarding himself, the next thought he had was getting out of the cockpit and calling for help.
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he → begin → help
"My immediate action was to free myself from the seatbelts and I tried to just block the blows as much as I could," he said.
"
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he → free → blows
My hand went to the knob which opens the door and screaming for my colleagues, screaming his name.
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which → go → name
I believe that was the first time when I lost my consciousness."
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I → believe → consciousness
After Mr Machchhar was able to free himself, the scene outside was completely different.
"
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scene → free → himself
I remember being face down.
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I → remember → ?
Emirati authorities have accused co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami of trying to take control of the plane with the intention of crashing it into Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, in a "suicide attack".
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authorities → accuse → attack
UAE authorities allege the 29-year-old suspect was radicalised while studying in Melbourne, claims Australian authorities have not verified.
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authorities → allege → Melbourne
The aircraft was in Saudi airspace when the co-pilot allegedly attacked Mr Machchhar with a crash axe, which is typically kept in the cockpit for emergencies.
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which → attack → emergencies
During the incident the aircraft fell 4,900 metres in 30 seconds before Mr al-Hammami's actions were stopped by two other pilots on the plane.
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actions → fall → plane
Mr Machchhar has been hailed as a hero for opening the cockpit door to allow passengers to restrain the attacker.
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passengers → hail → attacker
But he has made sure to share the praise.
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he → make → praise
"My other colleague who took over the controls and saved the day again is commendable," he said.
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he → take → day
The plane safely landed in Saudia Arabia where Mr al-Hammami was transferred into the custody of Emirati authorities.
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Hammami → land → authorities
Mr Machchhar said the scariest thing he felt during the ordeal was nose of the aircraft "steeply going down".
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nose → say → aircraft
"I was not very sure that I'll make it out alive from this.
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I → make → this
Did I give up?
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I → give → ?
The Aporia
