The Call and the Story
President Donald Trump called the Flydubai rescue “the most amazing story” on Wednesday after speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The President shared details about the flight that plunged thousands of feet before crashing was stopped. He said the co-pilot accused of the attack was “perhaps a terrorist, or perhaps a whack-job”, according to Breitbart.
The captain, who was severely wounded, opened the cockpit door as Trump described. He said the pilot was able to “fall back and get the door open and scream”, according to the Daily Wire. Passengers then overpowered the attacker while the Boeing 737 was still falling.
Netanyahu called the captain, Smit Machchhar, a “true hero” for his actions. The Prime Minister stated that despite being stabbed, the captain “fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker”.
The Plumber Account
Trump told reporters he heard a story from Netanyahu about an Israeli plumber who saved the plane. Trump said the plumber “never flew a plane, was rarely in planes, very rarely flew”, according to the Washington Examiner. The President noted that strong muscles from lifting pipes helped the man act quickly.
Trump claimed the man then “took the stick, lifted it up, and leveled out the plane before it crashed”.
Trump was clear about the source of this specific detail. He stated, “I don’t know if it’s true, but that’s the story that I got from Bibi”. Public remarks by the Prime Minister did not label the passenger as a plumber.
The Flight Details
Four Americans were among 174 passengers on the flight heading to Tel Aviv. According to reports, the aircraft dropped almost 14,000 feet within 30 seconds. Trump described the plane as going “sharply down at an unbelievable angle”.
He noted that the rudder “ripped off the back of the plane” during the steep drop. The captain, an Indian national, remains hospitalized in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Netanyahu said the captain used “the last moments of his energy” to open the door.
What We Know Now
The President called the event an “incredible story” while highlighting the bravery of those on board. He emphasized that the solid steel doors usually cannot be opened from the outside. The captain had the sense to act as a hero by opening that door.
Trump praised the passengers for their quick response in stopping the co-pilot. The G forces indicated to the crowd that death was imminent, he claimed. The story remains a mix of confirmed facts and accounts from a private phone call.
Trump said the pilot was in very bad shape and likely still is. The account of the plumber leveling the plane stands as a story Trump received, not a confirmed report. The focus remains on the captain who managed to scream for help before collapsing.
