Captain Smit Machchhar recounts cockpit attack and crew's response on flydubai flight
Captain Smit Machchhar described the assault by a co-pilot on a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv and praised the crew and passengers who restrained the attacker, allowing the plane to land safely.
Captain Smit Machchhar spoke to Sky News Arabia for the first time in English about the September 30 incident on flydubai Flight FZ1073, which was en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv. He said he realized he might not survive when the Omani co-pilot, Hammam al-Hammami, attacked him in the cockpit.
"My colleague who took control and saved the day is commendable, it is something that I will keep with me till I die," Machchhar said in the interview.
After the assault, passengers who entered the cockpit helped restrain the rogue co-pilot. A second co-pilot and a dentist provided medical assistance to Machchhar, while the remaining pilots took over the aircraft. The plane, carrying 174 passengers, completed an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Machchhar, who was seriously wounded, was transferred to a hospital in Abu Dhabi for treatment and is reported to be making a steady recovery. He recalled the panic and screaming on board and said he repeatedly urged himself to act to avoid a fatal outcome.