1 hr ago
Indian Pilot's Actions Helped Save Flydubai Flight After Attack
A Flydubai plane was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv when one pilot attacked the other in the cockpit.
The injured captain, Smit Machchhar, still managed to unlock the cockpit door.
This allowed passengers and crew members to enter and stop the attacking pilot.
One passenger helped pull the plane out of a steep dive, although he was not a pilot.
Two trained Flydubai pilots who were traveling on the plane then took control.
They safely landed the aircraft in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
The plane had many people aboard, but reports differ on whether there were 174 or 184 passengers.
Captain Machchhar was taken to a hospital and reported to be stable.
Investigators are still trying to understand why the co-pilot attacked him.
Captain Smit Machchhar was seriously injured after his co-pilot attacked him aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073.
Despite his injuries, Machchhar unlocked the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to enter and restrain the attacker.
An Israeli passenger, identified in reports as Yaniv Hayoun or Yanik, briefly helped control the aircraft during its descent.
Two off-duty Flydubai pilots on board stabilized the plane and diverted it to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.
Machchhar remained in stable condition, while authorities in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates investigated the attack and its unknown motive.
- Who
- Captain Smit Machchhar, his co-pilot, passengers, cabin crew, and two off-duty Flydubai pilots were involved.
- What
- A co-pilot allegedly attacked and stabbed or struck Machchhar, causing a cockpit emergency and steep descent before the aircraft was secured.
- Where
- The flight was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv and was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
- When
- The incident occurred during a Flydubai flight described by reports as taking place on a Wednesday; an exact date was not consistently provided.
- Why
- The reason for the co-pilot's alleged attack remains unknown and is under investigation.
Attack Was Potentially Terrorist
Motive Remains Unconfirmed
Nature of the incident
Attack Was Potentially Terrorist
Some Israeli officials and commentators described the attack as a possible jihadist or terrorist attempt that could have caused a mass-casualty disaster.
Motive Remains Unconfirmed
Flydubai said the motive was unknown, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was too early to determine who was behind the incident.
How the aircraft was saved
Attack Was Potentially Terrorist
Accounts emphasizing Machchhar's role say his resistance and unlocking of the cockpit door were decisive in allowing passengers and crew to intervene.
Motive Remains Unconfirmed
Other accounts stress that the passengers who restrained the attacker, the passenger who briefly handled the controls, the reserve pilots, and the aircraft's ability to withstand the descent all contributed to the safe landing.
Details of the attack
Attack Was Potentially Terrorist
Several reports say the co-pilot stabbed Machchhar and tried to interfere with the aircraft's controls.
Motive Remains Unconfirmed
Other accounts say Machchhar may have been struck with an axe, while investigators have not publicly established the precise weapon or sequence of events.
Key facts
- Flight
- Flydubai Flight FZ1073
- Route
- Dubai to Tel Aviv
- Aircraft
- Boeing 737 MAX 8, according to one report
- Captain
- Smit Machchhar, an Indian pilot
- Landing site
- Tabuk Airport, Saudi Arabia
- Captain's condition
- Reported stable in a Tabuk hospital after serious injuries
- Investigation
- Saudi and United Arab Emirates authorities are investigating; the motive remains unknown
- Passenger count
- Reports vary between 174 and 184 passengers
Quotes
Israel's foreign ministry
Israeli government ministry
“Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker – preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster.”
easterneye.biz
“Captain Smit Machchhar is a HERO. In the face of the gravest danger and despite being seriously injured, he showed immense courage and an unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others.”
easterneye.biz
Smit Machchhar
Flydubai captain discussing how he entered aviation
“When I get out of the cockpit or the aircraft, I don’t want the other guy to know that I’m a pilot. I don’t want to discuss aviation.”
indianexpress.com
“Unlike a lot of other aviators right now, aviation was not a childhood dream. It came along much later in my life.”
indianexpress.com
Flydubai
The airline operating flight FZ1073
“The aircraft was successfully secured by on-duty Flydubai crew travelling on the flight, who diverted and landed the aircraft safely at Tabuk Airport (TUU). All passengers and crew are safe and accounted for,”
indianexpress.com
Sources
‘Israel’s 9/11 averted’: India’s Smit Machchhar praised for preventing flydubai crash
Smit Machchhar: Indian Pilot Who Saved Flydubai FZ1073
'Fighting For His Life, He Managed To Unlock Cockpit': Netanyahu Recalls Capt Machchhar's Bravery On Flydubai Flight
What saved the Flydubai plane: Smit Machchhar, fliers’ actions, and sheer luck
Who is Captain Smit Machchhar, the ‘hero’, who saved over 170 lives onboard FlyDubai
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