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JOINS ME BY SKYPE FROM HER HOME
IN AUSTRALIA.
WELCOME TO YOU.
TELL ME EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.
YOU WERE ON THIS FLIGHT.
AND THE COPILOT'S NAME IS FARIQ
ABDUL HAMID.
WHAT HAPPENED?
>> MY FRIEND AND I WERE STANDING
IN LINE AT THE BOARDING GATE
WITH ALL THE OTHER PASSENGERS
WAITING TO BOARD.
AND THE COPILOTS AND PILOTS
WALKED PAST US AND CAME BACK AND
ASKED IF WE WOULD WANT TO SIT
WITH THEM IN THE COCKPIT DURING
THE FLIGHT.
WE SAID YES.
WE BOARDED THE PLANE WITH ALL
THE OTHER PASSENGERS AND WENT TO
OUR SEATS.
A SHORT WHILE AFTER TAKING OUR
SEATS THEY ASKED US IF WE WANTED
TO ENTER THE COCKPIT WHICH WE
DID.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE SPENT THE
FLIGHT.
>> THEY WERE SMOKING AND POSING
FOR PICTURES WITH YOU IN THE
COCKPIT?
>> THEY WERE SMOKING, AND YES,
THEY WERE POSING FOR PICTURES.
I'D JUST LIKE TO MAKE IT VERY
CLEAR I DON'T THINK THEY WERE
DISTRACTED AT ALL BY POSING FOR
PICTURES.
WE DID TAKE PICTURES OF THEM BUT
I DON'T THINK IT WAS A
DISTRACTION.
>> NO.
BUT HAVING SAID THAT, YOU MUST
HAVE BEEN AS SURPRISED AS I'M
SURE ALL OUR VIEWERS ARE AT THE
EASE OF ACCESS OF PEOPLE THEY
DIDN'T KNOW PRESUMABLY AT ALL
BEFORE THIS TO GO INTO A COCKPIT
AT ALL.
>> YES.
I WAS PRETTY SURPRISED BY IT.
I THOUGHT THAT THE FACT THAT
THEY WERE DOING IT MUST MEAN
THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS
QUITE OFTEN.
I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW MUCH
AGAINST REGULATION IT WAS.
I ACTUALLY THOUGHT IT WAS
SOMETHING THAT WAS ALLOWED WITH
THEM DOING IT I ASSUMED THEY
WERE ALLOWED TO BE DOING IT.
>> I CAN REMEMBER WHEN I WAS
MUCH MUCH YOUNGER, SOMETIMES A
PILOT WOULD INVITE YOUNG KIDS IN
TO HAVE A QUICK LOOK AT THE
COCKPIT.
BUT CERTAINLY AFTER 9/11
EVERYTHING CHANGED PRETTY
DRAMATICALLY.
I ASSUMED EVERY AIRLINE.
THAT'S WHY THIS STORY COMING
WHEN IT DID IS SO SHOCKING I
THINK.
DID YOU GET THE FEELING THEY'D
DONE THIS BEFORE WITH OTHER
PEOPLE?
>> YES.
IT DIDN'T FEEL LIKE IT WAS
SOMETHING NEW TO THEM.
THE CREW ALSO SEEMED TO BE QUITE
COMFORTABLE WITH IT.
SO IT STRUCK ME THAT IT WAS
SOMETHING THAT HAD HAPPENED
BEFORE.
>> I WANT TO READ A STATEMENT
FROM MALAYSIA AIRLINES WHICH
SAYS THIS "MALAYSIA AIRLINES HAS
BECOME AWARE OF THE ALLEGATIONS
BEANS MADE AGAINST FIRST OFFICER
FARIQ HAMID WHICH WE TAKE
SERIOUSLY.
WE ARE SHOCKED BY THESE
ALLEGATIONS.
WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO CONFIRM
THE VALIDITY OF THE PICTURES OF
THE INCIDENTS.
WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF A CRISIS
AND DON'T WANT TO DIVERT OUR
ATTENTION.
THE WELFARE OF BOTH THE CREW AND
PASSENGERS FAMILIES REMAIN OF
THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE TO US."
OBVIOUSLY, A LOT OF CONCERN
ABOUT ALL ASPECTS OF SECURITY
HERE.
THERE HAVE BEEN PEOPLE WITH
STOLEN PASSPORTS ON THIS
PARTICULAR FLIGHT THAT'S
DISAPPEARED AND SO ON.
AND CLEARLY YOUR TESTIMONY IS
IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT JUST SHOWS
A PRETTY LAX ATTITUDE GENERALLY
BY AT LEAST ONE OF THE PILOTS
INVOLVED IN THIS FLIGHT TO
GENERAL SECURITY ON THE PLANE
ITSE
ITSELF.
>> YES.
I THINK POSSIBLY SECURITY WAS A
LITTLE BIT LAX, BUT I AM IN NO
WAY TRYING TO IMPLY THAT THE
COPILOT OR THE PILOTS WERE MESSG
HAVE A SAFE FLIGHT BACK HOME.
>> WHEN YOU HEARD WHAT HAD
HAPPENED, HOW DID YOU REALIZE IT
WAS THE SAME PILOT?
>> I WAS SCROLLING THROUGH MY
FACEBOOK BECAUSE I WAS FRIENDS
WITH HIM ON FACEBOOK I WAS
SCROLLING THROUGH MY FACEBOOK
NEWS FEED.
I SAW A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE
POSTING POSTS SAYING THAT THEY
WERE SO SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT WHAT
HAPPENED.
I LOOKED TO SEE WHAT HAD
HAPPENED WHAT WAS GOING GOING
ON.
THAT'S WHEN I REALIZED HE WAS