Saudi and UAE authorities have said little publicly beyond confirming that investigations were underway.
asserted
investigations → say → little
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the copilot was arrested.
asserted
copilot → say → ?
The identity and motive of the Omani copilot who stabbed his captain on a flight to Israel, causing the plane to plummet dangerously and forcing it to land in Saudi Arabia, remained unknown on Thursday as investigators raced to learn more.
Israeli passengers on the flydubai flight carrying 174 people from the United Arab Emirates to the Israeli city of Tel Aviv have described how the bloodied Indian captain managed to open the cockpit door to let them in before they grappled with the copilot and stabilised a descent so sharp that the plane’s rudder was torn away.
asserted
rudder → stab → descent
“We felt helpless, suspended in midair and I didn’t know who to turn to.
asserted
I → feel → who
But it was all instinct to survive,” one of the responders, Asaf Rajuan, said in a new statement shared by Israel’s presidency.
asserted
one → survive → presidency
Saudi and UAE authorities have said little publicly beyond confirming that investigations were underway.
asserted
investigations → say → little
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the copilot was arrested.
asserted
copilot → say → ?
Captain Smit Machchhar, widely praised as another hero of the flight, was reportedly in stable condition, the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia said overnight.
uncertain
Embassy → praise → Arabia
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Machchhar as a "HERO" in comments on Thursday.
asserted
Modi → hail → Thursday
"In the face of the gravest danger and despite being seriously injured, he showed immense courage and an unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others," Modi said.
asserted
Modi → injure → others
"His valour helped save hundreds of lives and avert a great tragedy.
asserted
valour → help → tragedy
The condition of the arrested copilot was not clear.
asserted
condition → arrest → copilot
In a CNN interview aired on Wednesday evening, Netanyahu said the attacker was an Omani national and was being interrogated in Saudi Arabia.
asserted
attacker → air → Arabia
US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that he and Netanyahu discussed the incident “at length” over the phone and that it seemed as though the copilot “was perhaps a terrorist or perhaps a whack job."
asserted
copilot → tell → phone
Netanyahu said he spoke with the UAE’s president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who agreed that Israel would join the interrogation of the suspect.
asserted
Israel → say → suspect
Israel’s foreign ministry said the people on board were from Israel, India and the UAE.
asserted
people → say → Israel
The US State Department said four passengers had American citizenship.
asserted
passengers → say → citizenship
Flydubai has said its flights to and from Israel would be suspended while an investigation takes place.
asserted
investigation → say → place
Netanyahu had warned in recent days of unspecified, heightened security threats.
asserted
Netanyahu → warn → threats
The country is a week away from the anniversary of the Hamas-led 7 October 2023 attack on Israel, which triggered the war in Gaza.
asserted
which → lead → Gaza
In the chaos that unfolded about two and a half hours after leaving Dubai, the flight descended from 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet in about a minute, before making an erratic circle close to the Jordanian border and landing in the Saudi city of Tabuk about an hour later, according to Flightradar24, which identified the aircraft as a Boeing 737 Max 8.
uncertain
which → unfold → Max
A person who heard the flight’s communications with air traffic control described the plane being turned away by Saudi Arabia and Jordan before eventually landing in Tabuk, while passengers screamed in the background.
asserted
passengers → hear → background
The pilot’s voice was trembling as he called “mayday” and said a hijacking was taking place.
asserted
hijacking → tremble → place
The air control operators gave no reason for the refusals.
asserted
operators → give → refusals
The person who heard the communications spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media.
asserted
they → hear → media
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said on Thursday he would present "heroism" awards to four Israelis who helped overpower a flydubai co-pilot and prevented him from crashing the plane they were on.
asserted
they → say → plane
"You put yourselves at risk to save others and prevented a terrible disaster.
asserted
You → put → disaster
Today, the whole world saw the beautiful and courageous face of Israeli society," Herzog, who holds a largely ceremonial role, said in a statement.
asserted
who → see → statement
The Aporia
