Indian Flydubai captain Smit Machchhar has described how he battled to survive an alleged attack by his own co-pilot on a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, saying he was repeatedly struck on the head, lost consciousness as the aircraft plunged, and feared he would die before he managed to open the cockpit door and get help. Speaking from his hospital bed in Abu Dhabi, Machchhar told The National that he initially believed the first blow had been caused by a mechanical fault inside the aircraft. Only when the attacks continued did he realize the person hitting him was his first officer. “The first time when I was hit… my thought was something’s gone horribly wrong with the aircraft structure, which has fallen on my head,” he said.
The captain said the blows came in quick succession. He tried to free himself from his seatbelt and block the strikes, but his vision deteriorated and he suffered serious injuries to his head and arm. Machchhar told Sky News Arabia that the incident began while he was checking flight information on his computer, with the co-pilot praying behind him in the confined Boeing 737 cockpit. “Suddenly, there was a really hard hit at the back of my head,” he recalled, adding that he was “in and out of consciousness frequently” as the attack unfolded. At one point, he told himself: “Do something. You can’t die like this.”
The incident occurred on September 30 aboard flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. According to The National, the aircraft descended approximately 17,000 feet in less than a minute after the first officer allegedly attacked Machchhar and seized control of the plane. The captain said he could hear the engines slowing and felt the aircraft descending steeply. Despite his injuries, he continued fighting to reach the cockpit door before finally opening it, allowing passengers and crew members to enter and restrain the alleged attacker. Two off-duty Flydubai pilots travelling as passengers then took control of the aircraft. The plane was diverted to Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. All 172 passengers and crew members survived, according to reports.
Machchhar told The National that he had noticed no warning signs in his co-pilot’s behavior before the attack. It was the first time the two had flown together, and their interactions had been routine. He also said he did not understand what had prompted the co-pilot to take control of the aircraft, particularly when Tel Aviv was still more than an hour away. The captain suggested the episode could lead to a review of cockpit procedures and emergency equipment, including the presence of an axe inside the flight deck. “I won’t blame it on anyone. You’ve got to learn from the event,” he said, adding that lessons must be taken to prevent a recurrence. Despite his injuries, Machchhar said his commitment to flying remains unchanged and he hopes to return to the cockpit once he has recovered.
Original Source: https://www.firstpost.com/world/blows-kept-coming-indian-flydubai-captain-smit-machchhar-recounts-fight-for-survival-during-mid-air-cockpit-attack-14053593.html
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Publish Date: 2026-10-18 00:18:00
