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A mother of two knifed in New Zealand's first plane hijacking has told of how she tried to calm the attacker before she could take control of the cockpit.
The female passenger - who cannot be named because of court suppression orders - was sitting in row three, two rows behind the woman accused of the attack, Asha Ali Abdille, on Flight NZ2279 on Friday.
She said the flight from Blenheim had been in the air for only a few minutes when 33-year-old Abdille stood up and demanded the plane be diverted to Australia.
"I listened to what she was saying to the pilot for a while and thought maybe a female just talking quietly with another woman might be able to help," she told the Herald on Sunday last night.
The Christchurch mother of two said she was worried about how close Abdille, who was carrying a knife, was standing to the pilots. "One of the other passengers who was slightly closer to her was extremely frightened... I can't remember the exact words or the exact details but next minute I ended up with a cut and was told to get back to my seat by [Abdille]."
While the captain struggled with Abdille - sustaining knife injuries to both hands - the co-pilot managed to safely land the plane despite a stab wound to his foot.
The female passenger said the event "was a really frightening experience for all of us".
"I was just so relieved to get off the plane when it eventually landed because we weren't sure what our predicament was going to be."
She said the pilots handled the traumatic mid-air experience with great skill. "We were in the air, so if anything happened to the pilot the chances of us surviving would be minimal. So that accelerated our anxiety."
Despite her terrifying ordeal, the woman yesterday ran a half-marathon on the West Coast. Two hours of running had given her a chance to reflect on the horrifying flight.
"I do feel so sad for what the Somalian lady has gone through that has brought her to this mental state," she said. "It is incredibly sad."
Wearing a navy hoodie and with her left hand bandaged, Abdille appeared in Christchurch District Court yesterday charged with three counts of wounding with intent and attempting to hijack a plane - the first such charge laid in New Zealand.
Police asked for Abdille to be remanded in a psychiatric hospital where she will undergo a psychiatric report. She said nothing, other than thanking the JPs when she was led out of the dock.
Last night the two pilots, who also have name suppression, spoke of their ordeal.
Recovering in Christchurch Hospital after surgery to both hands, the captain paid tribute to the skills of his co-pilot in safely landing the plane while he grappled with Abdille.
The first officer has been treated for a stab wound to his foot and discharged from hospital.
"As pilots, safety for our customers and crew is top priority and our intuition, training and experience led to a positive outcome," the pair said in a statement.
The captain wanted to publicly thank his first officer "for his good work in flying and landing the aircraft in what was a life-threatening situation".
"His professionalism allowed me to focus on managing the overall situation and dealing with the offender."
Both men live in Nelson and have around 6000 hours of flying experience each, including roles as training captains.
The captain's pregnant wife is due to give birth shortly but flew from their home in Nelson yesterday to be with him.
She told the Nelson Mail her husband was a "bit shocked" and had yet to talk about his ordeal.
"It's something you don't expect to happen in New Zealand," she said. "Everybody is in a bit of shock."
Jason Gray, chief executive of flight operator Air National, described the pilots' professionalism throughout the ordeal as "absolutely outstanding".
"They put their own lives at risk without a second thought and I cannot thank them enough for getting the passengers and the aircraft to safety preventing any further injury."
The captain's flight instructor Penny MacKay, chief executive of Nelson Aviation College remembers the pilot from his days as a student
"He is an exceptionally good pilot. He's a very calm guy who's very, very capable," she said.
Speaking of the alleged hijacking, she said: "He would have been an extremely good guy to deal with it."
Abdille was born in Sudan but grew up in Somalia. When fighting began in Mogadishu in 1991, she was separated from her family and spent time in refugee camps on the Kenyan border. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees flew her to hospital in Nairobi, where she stayed until she was selected as a refugee in need of urgent, special protection. She was flown to New Zealand in 1994.
Since then she has moved around the country, living for short periods in Hamilton, Wellington, Napier, Nelson and Christchurch. She has had a head injury that gives her recurring health problems and is also believed to have headaches, dizziness and nightmares from her experiences in Africa.
- additional reporting Alice Hudson, Anna Leask and Anna Rushworth
