The Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv was plunging thousands of feet when injured captain Smit Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, giving passengers and off-duty pilots a chance to confront the attacker and regain control of the aircraft.
Machchhar, an Indian national from Mumbai, had been seriously injured after his fellow pilot allegedly attacked him inside the cockpit during Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30. The aircraft, carrying 174 people, went into a steep descent, losing nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds, according to reports.
Despite his injuries and heavy blood loss, Machchhar managed to trigger the cockpit door release. That allowed passengers and crew members to enter the flight deck and confront the attacker. The move has been credited as a crucial moment in the effort to prevent the aircraft from crashing.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Machchhar after the incident, describing his actions as an example of courage under extreme circumstances. “In the face of the gravest danger and despite being seriously injured, he showed immense courage and an unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others,” Modi wrote on X.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also praised the captain, saying Machchhar resisted the attack and opened the cockpit door despite being seriously wounded. Netanyahu said this enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker.
Once the cockpit door was opened, several passengers moved quickly toward the attacker. Among them was Yaniv Hayoun, an Israeli passenger who Netanyahu identified as a plumber. Hayoun said he joined the struggle and later moved toward the aircraft controls as the plane was still descending.
According to accounts of the incident, Hayoun pulled back on the controls in an attempt to stop the aircraft’s descent. He said he had seen how aircraft controls worked in television programmes. Other crew members and pilots then took over the flight controls.
Dr Shota Musaev, a dentist travelling as a passenger, was also among those who entered the cockpit. He found Machchhar badly wounded and bleeding heavily.
Speaking to CNN, Musaev said the captain had suffered severe cuts to his head and hands and had lost a large amount of blood. He feared the pilot could die before the aircraft reached an airport.
Musaev treated Machchhar while also helping restrain the attacker. Reports say passengers used headphone cords and plastic zip ties to keep the assailant under control.
Other passengers and crew members continued working to secure the cockpit. Two relief pilots were also reportedly travelling on the aircraft and joined the effort to regain control of the plane. One passenger identified one of them as a British pilot, although other reports have given different nationalities for the off-duty pilots.
The relief pilots eventually stabilised the aircraft and guided it toward Saudi Arabia. The plane made an emergency landing in Tabuk, in northwestern Saudi Arabia, where Machchhar was taken to hospital for treatment. Indian officials later said he was recovering after surgery and was in stable condition.
The aircraft had suffered significant stress during the steep descent. Aviation experts cited in reports expressed surprise that it remained controllable after the sudden loss of altitude and the forces placed on the aircraft during the manoeuvre.
The precise circumstances and motive behind the cockpit attack remain under investigation. Israeli officials have described the incident as an apparent attempt to bring down the aircraft, while authorities continue to investigate what led to the attack and the actions of the other pilot.
What is clear from the accounts so far is that several people played different roles during the emergency. Machchhar’s ability to open the cockpit door gave others access to the flight deck. Hayoun and other passengers confronted the attacker, Musaev provided urgent medical assistance, and off-duty pilots helped stabilise and land the aircraft.
The flight eventually reached the ground safely in Saudi Arabia, turning what had begun as a rapidly developing cockpit emergency into a story of coordinated action by the injured captain, passengers, medical help and fellow pilots.
