Machchhar opens cabin door after attack on Flydubai flight
Un piloto herido y sangrando tras un ataque en la cabina logró abrir la puerta, lo que permitió que los pasajeros y la tripulación redujeran al atacante y ayudaron a que un avión con más de 170 personas llegara a tierra a salvo, informó telenoche.com.uy. The incident unfolded as 39-year-old Indian pilot Machchhar was at the controls of a Flydubai flight.
- Machchhar, a pilot with nearly 9,750 flight hours, sustained severe injuries during a cockpit altercation on Wednesday.
- Yaniv Hayoun, a 50-year-old plumber with no flight training, took the manual controls after watching television aviation series.
- Shota Musaev, a dentist traveling as a passenger, provided emergency medical stabilization to staunch the pilot’s bleeding at altitude.
Machchhar Opens Cabin Door to Stop Cockpit Attacker
Machchhar had accumulated nearly 9,750 hours of flight time over a career spanning more than a decade with SpiceJet before joining Flydubai in 2022. During Wednesday’s flight, he was attacked by his co-pilot inside the cockpit. Despite severe injuries and significant blood loss, Machchhar managed to open the cabin door. That physical action allowed passengers and crew members to rush into the flight deck and overpower the attacker.
Plumber Takes the Controls at Descending Altitude
Among the passengers who rushed the cockpit was Yaniv Hayoun, a 50-year-old Israeli plumber and wastewater pumping business owner traveling with his wife and two daughters. Hayoun entered the flight deck alongside other passengers to pull the attacker away from the aircraft controls. As the plane descended rapidly, Hayoun took the yoke despite having zero formal flight training. He pulled back on the controls with maximum force until the aircraft began to regain stability, later citing mechanics he had observed on a television series about aviation accidents. Off-duty airline pilots also traveling as passengers subsequently assumed command of the aircraft and completed an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Dentist Administers Emergency Medical Intervention
Once the cockpit attacker was physically restrained, another passenger stepped forward to treat the wounded captain. Shota Musaev, an Israel-based dentist who had also participated in subduing the attacker, shifted his focus directly to Machchhar. Musaev worked to staunch the severe hemorrhaging and maintain the pilot’s vital stability until the flight reached the ground. Machchhar survived the incident and remained hospitalized in Saudi Arabia.
India and Israel Commend Machchhar for Heroism
Governments in both India and Israel publicly commended Machchhar for maintaining operational capability while severely injured. Meanwhile, Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced intentions to nominate Hayoun, Musaev, and other assisting passengers for Israel’s highest civil distinction for heroism. For individuals dealing with acute physical trauma or severe hemorrhage stabilization in remote environments, consulting board-certified emergency medicine physicians or trauma surgeons remains the standard of care for optimizing survival outcomes.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and scientific communication purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider regarding any medical condition, diagnosis, or treatment plan.