Abu Dhabi: Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot who prevented a flydubai flight to Tel Aviv from crashing, suffered a fractured skull when his Omani co-pilot struck him with a crash axe inside the cockpit, according to sources who spoke to NDTV. The aircraft was carrying more than 170 people on board at the time of the assault.
Despite excruciating pain and heavy bleeding, the 38-year-old managed to unlock the cockpit door. This allowed cabin crew and passengers to storm in, subdue the attacker, and help bring the plane under control. The flight then diverted for an emergency landing at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Emergency Surgery And Recovery
Sources said Captain Machchhar sustained a “depressed fracture — fragment of skull” during the attack. He underwent urgent cranial reconstruction surgery in Saudi Arabia before being flown to the UAE for further treatment, as reported by NDTV.
In addition to the head injury, the pilot suffered wounds to his limbs, chest, and upper abdomen. Captain Machchhar is now under care at a military hospital in Abu Dhabi, where specialist doctors are monitoring his condition. Sources said his recovery is “positive” and he is “responding well” to treatment.
His family has been allowed to visit him, and they are receiving regular updates on his health, sources added.
What The Pilot Told PM Modi
During a video call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week, the captain said he knew the plane was diving even as he was being attacked.
“I was lying on the floor injured, but I told myself to go for one last push to open the door from inside,” he told the Prime Minister.
“Others came in and also played a role [in controlling the situation]. I was of course fighting for my own life but at the same time I knew I was not going to let others die,” he added.
Flight Path And Emergency Codes
flydubai flight FZ1073, heading from Dubai to Tel Aviv, plunged nearly 18,000 feet about two and a half hours after take-off. The crew first sent a general emergency alert, then switched to code 7500, which signals a hijacking or unlawful interference.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later identified the attacker as Omani co-pilot Hamad Al-Hammami, saying he stabbed the captain before “apparently trying to crash” the aircraft.
The UAE attorney general called it an attempted “terrorist act”, saying the co-pilot used the cockpit’s crash axe and tried to seize control of the plane.
The incident has raised sharp questions over pilot vetting and air safety, especially as reports suggest Al-Hammami had earlier been barred from flying in Oman over extremist concerns.
Israeli officials have admitted a security failure, with Netanyahu vowing tougher checks on pilots flying into Israel.