‘One last fight left’: Indian pilot Smit Machchhar recounts flydubai cockpit attack to Netanyahu

Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot injured after being attacked by his co-pilot aboard a flydubai flight bound for Israel, has recounted the terrifying moments inside the cockpit during a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Speaking to Netanyahu on Saturday, Machchhar said the attack began after the co-pilot asked for time to pray. Out of respect, he looked towards the front of the cockpit and did not pay attention to what was happening behind him.

“A lot of locals, they do pray, which is not out of the ordinary. While he was praying, out of respect, I was just looking at the front and not at the back,” Machchhar said.

Around four to five minutes later, he felt what he described as a “big blow” to the back of his head.

“My first thought was that there was catastrophic damage to the aircraft, and something was not right,” he said.

The blows continued, and Machchhar soon realised that the aircraft itself was not the source of the problem.

“But then after that the blows kept coming one after the other. That's when I realised that it's not the aircraft, it's the other guy who was in the cockpit with me,” he recalled.

Machchhar fought back despite blurred vision

Machchhar said he tried to fight back and stop the co-pilot, but the initial assault had severely affected his vision, leaving everything “completely blurred out”.

He then realised that the aircraft was sharply descending. His recollection of the following moments remains fragmented because of the injuries he suffered.

“And at that point, the next thought, the next feeling that I had was that the aircraft was sharply going down. So my memory is still in bits and pieces right now. But this is what I remember out of that time,” he said.

At one point, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, but believed the co-pilot closed it again. The Indian pilot said he subsequently found himself lying on the cockpit floor, hearing the aircraft’s movement and passengers screaming.

“I had that one last fight left in me,” Machchhar said, explaining that he knew he would likely die if he could not act.

“That’s when I pushed against everything. I gave everything that I had and just went for the door and opened the door and thankfully people were waiting,” he said.

The cockpit door being opened allowed people outside to intervene. Other crew members and people aboard the aircraft helped overpower the co-pilot, allowing the aircraft to be brought under control.

Flight plunged before emergency landing in Saudi Arabia

The incident took place aboard flydubai flight FZ1073, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30. During the cockpit struggle, the Boeing 737 Max suffered a dramatic loss of altitude before the aircraft was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia and landed safely.

Reports said the aircraft lost a substantial amount of altitude in a short period during the attack. All passengers survived, while both pilots were injured and subsequently received medical treatment.

Machchhar's account also sheds light on how he managed to get the cockpit door open despite being seriously injured. His action gave people outside the cockpit an opportunity to intervene at a critical moment and helped avert what could have been a major disaster.

The incident involved more than 170 people on board, with reports putting the number of passengers at 174.

UAE calls co-pilot's actions a ‘terrorist act’

The UAE has since said that the co-pilot was attempting to carry out a “terrorist act” and tried to take control of the aircraft.

UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said the initial findings showed that the co-pilot had attacked Machchhar inside the cockpit with the aircraft’s emergency axe before attempting to seize control of the plane.

“The co-pilot had attempted to carry out a terrorist act” and had “attacked the captain in the cockpit with the emergency axe and tried to take control of the aircraft”, the Emirates News Agency WAM quoted Al Shamsi as saying.

Investigators have not yet disclosed what motivated the attack, and the inquiry is continuing into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The weapon used in the assault was not something the co-pilot had apparently smuggled on to the aircraft. Crash axes are standard emergency equipment carried in aircraft cockpits and can be used to break a window or open a panel to reach a fire or provide an escape route.

Co-pilot identified as Omani national

The co-pilot is in custody in the UAE. Several international media reports have identified him as Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national, and reported that he had previously been barred from flying in Oman amid concerns about extremist views.

Reports have raised questions about how he was subsequently able to work as a commercial pilot and operate a flight bound for Israel. The investigation is examining his background and the circumstances surrounding his employment and assignment to the flight.

Israeli officials have also alleged that the co-pilot had been radicalised and expressed extremist and antisemitic views, although investigators are still determining the precise motive and whether anyone else was involved.

Netanyahu praises Machchhar, invites him to Israel

Netanyahu spoke to Machchhar while the Indian pilot was receiving treatment in the UAE and praised him for his actions during the attack.

The Israeli prime minister described Machchhar as a hero of India, Israel and the entire world. He also invited the Indian pilot and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend Israel's Independence Day celebrations next year.

Netanyahu said he wanted Machchhar and Modi to light a ceremonial flame at the national event, an honour generally reserved for Israeli citizens.

Machchhar's account to Netanyahu provides the clearest description yet of the attack from inside the cockpit, including the moment he realised he was being assaulted, the aircraft's sudden descent and his final effort to open the cockpit door despite his injuries.