Nocturnal 
A Flydubai captain has described crawling across the cockpit floor, bleeding from stab wounds, to reach the door latch and let passengers in – a decision he says prevented a catastrophe. Captain Smit Machchhar was allegedly attacked by his own co-pilot mid-flight on Wednesday, in what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described as an attempted “9/11”-style hijacking.
Flight FZ1073 had been flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv when, around two and a half hours into the journey, the aircraft suddenly lost altitude. According to the BBC, the jet dropped more than 17,000ft, while Reuters reported the plunge as nearly 14,000ft in under 30 seconds. The plane’s transponder switched to code 7500 – the international signal for a hijacking – alerting air traffic control to the emergency.
Machchhar, speaking for the first time since the incident in a video call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said he was on the floor of the cockpit and still being attacked when he realised what was happening to the plane. “I was lying on the floor injured but I told myself to go for one last push to open the door from inside,” he said. “Others came in and also played a role. I was of course fighting for my own life but at the same time I knew I was not going to let others die.”
Passengers overpowered the attacker
Once the cockpit door was open, passengers and crew rushed in and restrained the co-pilot. Israeli passenger Asaf Rajuan has said he put the attacker in a chokehold and pinned him down. Two off-duty reserve pilots who were travelling on the flight then took control and landed the plane at Tabuk Airport in north-western Saudi Arabia.
Eyewitness Shota Musayev, a dentist on board, told how he treated Machchhar after the attack. “Poor pilot, he was just praying the whole time and was in contact with me, and I was afraid we would really lose him,” he said.
Netanyahu named the attacker as an Omani national and said he had reportedly undergone “Islamist radical indoctrination”, though this has not been independently verified. He said the man was shouting “kill me, kill me” after being subdued, suggesting he was suicidal. The suspect was arrested in Saudi Arabia and is reportedly being questioned, while the United Arab Emirates has said it is investigating “whether the incident was linked to any terrorist activity or purpose”. No charges have been confirmed, and under UK contempt rules Nocturnal News is not speculating further on guilt.
‘I knew God saved me’
Machchhar, from Ghatkopar East in Mumbai, is now recovering in hospital in Abu Dhabi. In the emotional call with Modi, shared on the Prime Minister’s social media channels, the bandaged captain wiped away tears as he recalled reciting a prayer to the Hindu monkey god Hanuman during the attack. “I knew God saved me,” he said.
The 39-year-old, who has flown for 17 years and been a captain for 11, told Modi: “I realised at that time that if I won’t show courage, then 170 passengers will lose their lives.” Passenger numbers have been reported variously as 170, 174 and 180 across different outlets.
Modi praised the pilot’s “courage, patience, and quick decision-making”, adding that India was “proud” of him, while neighbours back in Mumbai have described him as easy-going and brave. A sculpture has even been made on an Indian beach in his honour.
Machchhar said he’s now focused on getting better. “I am looking at it as a journey which is slowly going on and will take time but I am confident that the recovery will be there and I will become fit and healthy again.”
The investigation into the incident, and the motive behind it, is continuing.
