Hero Indian Pilot Recalls Opening Cockpit Door to Save Flydubai Flight From Crash
On Wednesday, a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv plunged more than 17,000 feet after a violent cockpit attack by a co-pilot, forcing an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. Captain Smit Machchhar, severely wounded and lying on the flight deck floor, managed to open the cockpit door to let passengers and relief pilots regain control, preventing a catastrophic disaster.
Captain Smit Machchhar Fights Off Attack Inside Flight FZ 1073
Flight FZ 1073 was two hours into its journey when the co-pilot launched a sudden assault on Captain Smit Machchhar. The aircraft experienced a massive altitude drop, plummeting from nearly 34,000 feet to less than 17,000 feet, according to Flightradar data. The attacker reportedly stabbed the captain in an apparent attempt to crash the jet carrying 174 passengers, including Israeli citizens.
Despite massive blood loss and severe injuries, Machchhar crawled across the flight deck floor. In a video call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Machchhar recalled that he knew he had to make one last push to open the door from the inside. “I was lying on the floor injured but I told myself to go for one last push to open the door from inside,” Machchhar told Modi. He added that he recited the Hanuman Chalisa during the ordeal. “I was doing this for my life, but at the same time, I knew that I couldn’t let everybody else die,” Machchhar said. Modi praised Machchhar’s heroics, telling the veteran pilot that his “courage, patience and quick thinking… saved the lives of so many people.” “You yourself were fighting the battle of life and death,” Modi said. Now I know that he is not God, he is my saviour,
he said.
Passengers and Relief Pilots Take Control Before Saudi Diversion
As the cockpit door clicked open, passengers and crew members rushed forward to overpower the attacker. Yaniv Hayoun, described by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a plumber, entered the cockpit amidst the struggle. Hayoun told Netanyahu that he grabbed the controls and pulled back the handles as he had seen on television shows, before other crew members and relief pilots took over. An off-duty British pilot and other relief crew members on board managed to stabilize the aircraft and divert it to Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely at 9:45 am local time on Wednesday.
Ground security mobilized quickly in Tabuk, with ambulances and police vehicles stationed near the terminal, according to an AFP correspondent. Israeli media outlets reported that fighter jets had been scrambled by the Israeli military over initial hijacking fears, though that hypothesis was later dismissed. National Security Minister Ben Gvir stated that 180 Israelis were on board, while Netanyahu publicly praised Machchhar on X, writing that the captain saved the lives of 174 people despite being stabbed and seriously injured.
Captain Machchhar Recovers After Emergency Landing
Following the emergency landing, Captain Machchhar and the injured co-pilot were transported to a hospital in Tabuk. Dentist Shota Musaev, a passenger who helped treat Machchhar on board, described the captain as having suffered massive blood loss. Machchhar was later airlifted to Abu Dhabi, where the Indian embassy confirmed he was in stable condition, in good health, and recovering well. Prime Minister Modi commended the pilot’s courage, patience, and quick decision-making during their virtual conversation on Friday, while Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu hailed him as a true hero. Ambassador Deepak Mittal said he was “proud of Capt Smit for his bravery” and “very reassured” to meet him.
Authorities across multiple jurisdictions continue to investigate the exact motive behind the co-pilot’s actions. While Israeli media channel Channel 12 reported that investigators examined whether the co-pilot attempted suicide by crashing the plane, neither Flydubai nor the civil aviation authorities of the involved countries have released official findings detailing the nationalities or precise backgrounds of the flight crew beyond initial reports identifying the attacker as an Omani national and noting the involvement of Emirati and British personnel.
Expert Analysis on the Mid-Air Nosedive
One passenger described the moment of the nosedive as like “massive turbulence … for 20 or 30 seconds”. Steve Arroyo, a former United Airlines pilot and aviation safety expert, said: That was a serious descent and strong aerodynamic forces on that rudder for that to happen. I’m just amazed the aircraft didn’t come apart.
Jeff Guzzetti, another aviation expert, said: What saved them is there was enough altitude left for them to recover.
It may not have been possible for the plane to level out if it had fallen below 10,000 feet, he said.