Flydubai Captain Recounts How He Averted Tragedy After Cockpit Attack by First Officer
The captain of the Flydubai flight between Dubai and Tel Aviv, Smit Machchhar, gave his testimony from a hospital in Abu Dhabi after surviving an inflight attack carried out by his first officer inside the flight deck.
Inflight Incident and the Cockpit Survival Maneuver
The incident occurred aboard a Boeing 737 operating the route from Dubai International Airport to Tel Aviv with 182 occupants on board. During the flight, the first officer—identified as an Omani national—attacked Captain Machchhar with an edged weapon, inflicting deep cuts and temporarily immobilizing him on the cockpit floor.
According to Machchhar’s account, the aircraft suddenly entered a steep descent. Realizing the rapid loss of altitude and the imminent threat to the lives of everyone on board, the captain summoned the strength to pull himself up while the attacker continued to strike him.
The captain managed to reach the flight deck door unlock mechanism to allow the immediate entry of passengers and cabin crew, who subdued the assailant. The aircraft subsequently diverted and carried out an emergency landing in Tabuk, in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
Onboard Intervention and Emergency Medical Treatment
Following the violent altercation, several occupants rushed to assist the captain. Among them, passenger and dentist Shota Musaev confirmed that the captain had sustained severe injuries and massive blood loss.
- Initial Care: Machchhar received initial medical attention in Saudi Arabia following the forced landing.
- Hospital Transfer: The captain was transferred to a hospital in Abu Dhabi, where he remains under observation with head bandaging and supplemental oxygen support.
- Assailant’s Status: Israeli authorities stated that the suspect, an Omani national, was formally taken into custody in Saudi Arabia, where he remains under official investigation and interrogation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly commended the aviator’s response, emphasizing that opening the cockpit door prevented a catastrophe.
Captain Smit Machchhar’s Career and Background
Born in Mumbai to a family in the textile industry, Machchhar did not initially consider commercial aviation as his career, even pursuing initial studies in textile engineering before commencing his flight training.
His operational and technical career includes a solid track record in civil aviation:
- SpiceJet Experience: He flew for 11 years with the Indian low-cost carrier SpiceJet, rising to the ranks of line captain and line training captain (LTC).
- Flight Hours: He accumulated more than 9,750 flight hours during his tenure with the Indian carrier.
- Flydubai: He joined the Dubai-based carrier approximately four years ago, serving as a line captain on its narrowbody fleet.
International Recognition
During a video call from the hospital with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi—conducted in Gujarati—the captain recounted the critical moments of the attack and the decisive physical effort required to protect the passengers. For his part, the Indian leader took to the X platform to highlight the captain’s courage and unwavering determination in the face of grave danger, recognizing his decisive actions in averting an aviation catastrophe.
Captain Machchhar remains hospitalized in Abu Dhabi focusing on his medical rehabilitation, while competent authorities proceed with interrogating the suspect on Saudi soil to establish the full legal facts of the assault.
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Plataforma Informativa de Aviación Comercial con 13 años de trayectoria.