"It's a Miracle".. Former American Officer Reveals How the Cockpit Door of a Flydubai Plane Was Opened

- Questions are increasing about how passengers managed to reach the cockpit and thwart what appeared to be a hijacking attempt of a Fly Dubai flight on Wednesday. The alleged assailant, who was one of the pilots, stabbed his colleague inside the cockpit while the plane was descending, until the passengers were able to subdue him, restrain his movements, and stabilize the aircraft.

Israel stated that the injured pilot, Samit Matshahar, opened the cockpit door from the inside during the attack. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said via X: "Despite his severe injuries, he managed to open the cockpit door, allowing Israeli passengers and the Emirati crew to intervene and save all the passengers."

Josh McConkey, a colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve and an emergency physician, said that the aviation sector made comprehensive adjustments to security measures and protocols following the September 11 attacks, including reinforcing the cockpit door to prevent any potential hijacking attempts. McConkey, who is also seeking to win the position of Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina, stated: "Unless someone can open that from the inside, you cannot get in."

He added: "This is one of the things that makes this event extremely exceptional; the pilot himself - despite being stabbed and suffering life-threatening injuries and heavy bleeding - managed to reach back and open that door, then a regular person rushes in and pulls the plane out of that steep descent. Following the events of September 11, U.S. airlines were required to install permanent reinforcements on all existing cockpit doors and to integrate these reinforcements into newly manufactured aircraft.

Many airlines and manufacturers have chosen to use bullet-resistant materials and composite materials, as well as reinforcing door frames and locks. The International Civil Aviation Organization - a United Nations agency responsible for overseeing the global aviation sector - has a similar set of standards that member states adhere to.

Marco Chan, a senior lecturer in aviation operations at Kingston University in London, stated that investigators examining the Flydubai plane incident will likely first focus on studying the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder. They will also question the flight crew, off-duty pilots, and passengers, and will seek to determine -among other pressing questions- how the cockpit door was opened.