In journalism, we say, when something goes wrong, it becomes news. The bigger the misfortune (if it can be quantified in some manner), the bigger the news.
One of my editors used to say, if there is an accident, don't just go by the number of people who died, look at also the number of people who were saved or who escaped death.
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| Image source: Wikimedia |
This is what came to my mind when I was following reports about the dramatic and extraordinary scenes inside the cockpit of the Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, carrying over 150 passengers, mainly Israelis.
Fortunately, nothing happened. There was no hijack. The plane didn't crash. It landed safely. There was no loss of lives. Two people suffered injuries.
It was such big news; not because of any misfortune or an accident. On the contrary, it was a providential escape from a massive tragedy. An escape from a calamity that would have befallen not just the 150-odd passengers and crew of the plane but an entire region as well.
What happened on board the flight was something unprecedented. One pilot stabbed another pilot while the plane was cruising at an altitude of over 34,000 ft. Israeli PM Netanyahu said it was an attempt to crash the plane.
The pilot, who resisted the attack of the co-pilot and got stabbed, was an Indian, Smit Machchhar, who worked for an Indian airline, SpiceJet, for 11 years before joining the Dubai airline. We would know more about what happened once he recovers and gives his testimony to the investigators.
The world first got to know about this when the plane signalled the emergency code, squawk 7700, and later squawk 7500, which means hijacking.
On hearing the screams and chaos inside the cockpit, passengers and crew broke in and overpowered the attacker. Two of the passengers were pilots, or at least they knew the controls of an airplane. They took charge.
By then, the plane had dropped from 34,000 feet to around 16,600 feet in just over two minutes. The two manually guided the plane to land safely at Tabuk in Saudi Arabia.
It was such immense luck that there were two pilots among the passengers who could take control of the plane and land it safely. I dread to think what would have happened if that wasn't the case.
If the plane had crashed, it's anybody's guess how Israel would have reacted. The already unstable and volatile region would have just descended further into unthinkable turmoil.
Hari OM
ReplyDeleteIt's horrifying to think of the possibilities - as it is, there may be some 'kickback'. We must also expect that more and more such incidents may arise (take the business of vans and men outside the US airbase in the UK this week...) YAM xx
Hi Yamini - Quite possible. Looking at the way things are moving, it's quite scary.
DeleteVery scary.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely.
DeleteThat must have been a terror for all the passengers. Even for us, just listening to the news, was a horror. Yes, we must get to know the details.
ReplyDeleteHi Tomi - Hopefully, we will get to know the details. Quite a horrifying incident.
DeleteA very thought-provoking perspective. We usually focus on the tragedy that happened, but this reminds us to also think about the tragedy that was narrowly avoided. The courage and quick action of the crew and passengers, especially the pilots among the passengers, made an extraordinary difference. Sometimes the biggest news really is the disaster that never happened. (PS: Personal thought. Why 2 pilots as passengers on a 3 hour non-stop flight. Cannot digest their explanation. We will never know what happens at a higher level.)
ReplyDeleteHi SG - A happy coincidence that there were other pilots on board. One never really knows.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't even heard about this Pradeep - thank goodness there were other pilots onboard and that the stabbed pilot survived. Definitely a great outcome compared to what it could have beenn
ReplyDeleteHi Leanne - Indeed, what a stroke of luck. Totally scary scenario.
DeleteGlobal politics and religious extremism seem to have hijacked the world, let alone a plane. We are living in scary times.
ReplyDeleteVery well said, David. That's exactly my feeling too.
DeleteI was both horrified and vastly relieved upon reading this on the news when the info was released. What a horrific might-have-been. What a happiness that there were two pilots who immediately took over flying. And thank goodness the passengers got involved,
ReplyDeleteHi Katie - One of the most dramatic flying incidents ever, I am sure. Glad nothing untoward happened.
DeleteIncidents with planes happen far too often but a near miss incident is better then a crash
ReplyDeleteIt was a huge stroke of luck!
DeleteDeus caritas est!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteThank you for sharing the truth behind this story that main (lame) stream American media mostly ignored. Blessings to you and yours, my dear.
ReplyDeleteHi Darla - Thank you.
DeleteI like your perspective, Pradeep. I’m so pleased the tragedy was averted.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Val.
DeleteI appreciate your sharing the truth here. Thank you. ❤️
ReplyDeleteThank you, Linda.
DeleteI think that was the precise way of putting this incident in social platform. The way the social media portrays with AI content and video is misleading and fantasying. Thank you Sir.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Satish.
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