India
oi-Madhuri Adnal
Indian pilot Smit Machchhar was badly injured after being attacked by the co-pilot inside the cockpit of a flydubai flight, but continued to fight to regain access to the cockpit as the aircraft plunged thousands of feet.
Machchhar, 38, suffered a fractured skull and injuries to his hand after Omani co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami allegedly attacked him from behind with a crash axe during the Dubai to Tel Aviv flight.
Indian pilot Smit Machchhar sustained a fractured skull after co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami attacked him on flydubai flight FZ1073, but Machchhar regained cockpit access, enabling passenger intervention and the flight’s safe diversion to Saudi Arabia.
Even after suffering the injuries, Machchhar tried to open the cockpit door. He was in severe pain, had lost blood and was struggling to see clearly.
According to sources, Machchhar managed to unlock the door during his first attempt but told investigators that he could not see properly. The co-pilot then shut the door again.
Machchhar did not give up. Despite his worsening condition and severely blurred vision, he made another attempt to open the cockpit door. This time, he succeeded.
The door being opened gave passengers the chance to enter the cockpit and overpower al-Hammami, helping prevent the situation from turning into a major disaster.
Investigators have alleged that al-Hammami was attempting to take control of the aircraft and planned to crash it into a skyscraper in Tel Aviv in what they described as a 9/11-style attack.
More than 170 passengers were on board flight FZ1073 when the incident took place. As the situation unfolded inside the cockpit, the aircraft reportedly lost more than 17,000 feet of altitude in just two minutes.
Two off-duty pilots who were travelling as passengers eventually helped bring the aircraft under control.
The flight was later landed safely in Saudi Arabia, bringing an end to an incident that could have had far more serious consequences had the passengers and crew not managed to regain control of the cockpit.
