U.S. President Donald Trump said he discussed the incident involving a Flydubai aircraft traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, suggesting that the suspected co-pilot may have been a terrorist while expressing reservations about the account of his alleged intentions.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said he had spoken at length with Netanyahu about the incident. He suggested that the co-pilot may have been a terrorist or may have been suffering from a disorder, while stopping short of saying that he deliberately attempted to bring down the aircraft.
Trump said officials had told him that the suspect wanted to crash the plane, but stressed that he had no confirmed information proving that, describing it as the account that had been conveyed to him.
Trump also praised what he described as the remarkable intervention of an Israeli passenger, Yaniv Hayon, who reportedly works as a plumber. According to Trump, Hayon heard screaming inside the aircraft as it was descending at a steep angle and, despite having no previous flight experience, managed to take hold of the controls and stabilize the aircraft before it crashed.
Trump also said the landing was so violent that it caused the aircraft’s rudder to be torn from the rear of the plane, although no official source has confirmed this claim.
According to Hayon’s account, he learned how to control an aircraft by watching the documentary series “Mayday” before another pilot later took over the controls.
Netanyahu had previously said that the co-pilot of Flight FZ1073 stabbed the captain and attempted to bring down the aircraft before passengers managed to restrain him. Other pilots subsequently took control and landed the plane safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.
According to the Israeli account, the suspect was detained after the emergency landing, while reports indicated that he was an Omani national.
One passenger said the injured captain managed to open the cockpit door before losing consciousness. The injured Indian pilot was identified as Sumit Matchar, whom Netanyahu had previously praised for his bravery and role in helping save the passengers.
Netanyahu later received Yaniv Hayon, who helped restrain the co-pilot, when the passengers returned to Ben Gurion Airport on September 30. The incident attracted widespread attention in Israel and coincided with ongoing political and electoral discussions.
