A morning flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv turned into a scene of chaos and terror after one pilot stabbed another, causing the plane to plunge more than 17,000 feet. Passengers and crew charged the cockpit and subdued the attacker, allowing two off-duty pilots to make a safe emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. Much is still unknown about the incident, including what caused the violent altercation.
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said the pilot-assailant seemed to be attempting to crash the plane, which was carrying at least 160 passengers. The pilot and co-pilot were hospitalized in Saudi Arabia, while all of the passengers arrived safely in Israel. Once on the ground, witnesses shared harrowing stories: Screams came from the cockpit, overhead bins swung open, parents clung to their children, passengers prayed and several worried they were living through their final moments.
“In my head, I said, ‘I’m so screwed, I’m so screwed. I don’t deserve to die like this,’” said Peleg Itali, 16, a high school student. A dentist, Shota Musev, said he was one of the first to reach the cockpit after the attack, finding the injured pilot thrown to the ground and treating him for severe wounds in midair.
Fonte: New York Times Top Stories · Sintesi di HeadlinesBriefing