Flydubai Captain Recounts Terrifying Cockpit Battle to Save Plane from Co-Pilot's Axe Attack

Flydubai captain Smit Machchhar has shared his harrowing experience of a co-pilot's violent assault with an axe, an act that led to their Boeing 737 plunging towards the Arabian Desert with the intent to kill all 172 people on board. In an exclusive interview with The National from his hospital bed in Abu Dhabi, Captain Machchhar described how the first officer, with whom he had shared the cockpit for two hours, exhibited no prior signs of the 'premeditated terrorist plot' alleged by Emirati prosecutors. The incident occurred on Flydubai Flight 1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, which plummeted 17,000 feet in under a minute after the first officer attacked Captain Machchhar and took control of the aircraft.

"I tried to block the blows as much as I could. [I was] screaming for my colleagues. I fell face down in the cockpit," Captain Machchhar recounted. He has been lauded as a hero for his actions in opening the cockpit door, which was locked from the inside, thereby thwarting the attack. All 172 passengers and crew members aboard the September 30 flight survived. The first officer is currently detained in the UAE and faces terrorism charges.

The statements in this interview represent the interviewee's personal recollection and perception of events at the time they occurred. Speaking from Zayed Military Hospital, Captain Machchhar revealed that his initial thought upon being struck was that a piece of equipment had fallen on him. The co-pilot, who prosecutors claim was radicalized by online Islamist content and a religious study center in Australia, had shown no unusual behavior. Captain Machchhar admitted he does not know what prompted the first officer to seize control when Tel Aviv airport, the intended crash site, was still over an hour away. He anticipates that an airline industry security review may lead to changes, particularly concerning the presence of cockpit fire axes.

Expressing gratitude for his treatment and return to his family, Captain Machchhar stated, "I was told that, by the order of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed, the President of UAE has called you back home – I smiled for the first time."

Narrating the hijacking for the first time, Captain Machchhar recalled thinking the initial blow to his head was from a collapsing cockpit panel. "The first time when I was hit … my thought was something's gone horribly wrong with the aircraft structure, which has fallen on my head," he said. "It almost made me fall on my control column. In the next couple of seconds, when the hits kept on coming, [I realised] it's the other person who I thought was supposed to be on the team." His immediate reaction was to unbuckle his seatbelt and attempt to block the blows raining down on his head. Captain Machchhar sustained severe injuries to his head and arm, including defensive wounds. "While the first few blows came in, my vision … it was so narrow. I lost a lot. I was just looking [at] outlines."

Captain Machchhar's memory of the unfolding events and their timeline is not entirely clear. However, he managed to open the cockpit door after several attempts, explaining that each physical exertion caused him to lose blood and consciousness. "Immediately, my hand went to the knob which opens the door," he said. "And [I was] screaming for my colleagues. I believe that was the first time when I lost consciousness. I fell face down in the cockpit.” He believes he regained consciousness as the attacker initiated a steep dive. Passengers and crew members began banging on the cockpit door from the other side. "The scariest thing that I heard and felt was the engines spooling down. When I say spooling down, it's the engine sound going from full blast to like … not what you want at that stage in the flight. And I felt the aircraft was steeply going down.”

Becoming emotional, Captain Machchhar described his instinct for survival. "At that point, I realised that you will not survive this," he explained. "And I was constantly looking for the door. I did go for it. I did push it … the next thing I remember was I was facedown, lying with, thank God, the cockpit door open. I was between the cockpit and the galley.”

He described the moment others came to his aid as "magic." "The next thing I remember was [being] pulled out by one of the passengers. And then, soon after that, the senior cabin crew thankfully reached where I was and did his magic. And yeah, that's how I'm speaking to you today.”

While recovering in Zayed Military Hospital, Captain Machchhar has been trying to piece together the events. He recalls praying as the cabin crew chief and others, including dentist Shota Musaev, worked to staunch his bleeding. "There was heavy bleeding from his head and left hand,” Dr Musaev told The National. “He had very, very deep cuts and we needed many ice packets. But every time I opened the T-shirt to check the bleeding, it would bleed more. So I pressed not very hard and with ice. All through the 45 minutes I kept the pressure on.” Captain Machchhar spoke emotionally about his determination: “I prayed a lot. I thought about my son, my daughter, and prayed. That was the point where I would say I didn't give up.” He affirmed, “Did I give up? No. I can 100 per cent tell you I did not give up. But was I sure I was going to make it? No.”

When asked if he suspected anything from his co-pilot's behavior, he stated he noticed nothing unusual. “If there was something that could have hinted earlier on the ground or something, yes, of course, I would have acted. I would have spoken up. I would have questioned some things like that,” he explained. He described the morning as ordinary, noting it was his first time meeting the first officer. “It was a morning flight. So, yeah, there was some small talk, but there was not really like a deep conversation,” he added. “We avoid getting into deep conversations, especially during high-intensity or high-density airspace, especially nowadays with all the restrictions. Saudi is very high density.” He concluded, "Nothing until that point would have caused me to think that: 'Hey, hold on, there's something off.'"

Regarding the attacker's motive and the timing of the assault when the plane was still an hour from Tel Aviv, Captain Machchhar stated, “I won't say I've been thinking a lot about it, but yes, I did give it a thought. It makes no sense to me.” He also acknowledged the scrutiny over the cockpit axe and the co-pilot's radicalization. Asked about potential changes in aviation security, Captain Machchhar expressed optimism: “I think so. And for good. I won't blame it on anyone. You've got to learn from the event … I would just say: learn from whatever's happened and then make sure that this doesn't happen again, ever.”

Captain Machchhar, who resides in the UAE with his wife and children, faces a lengthy recovery but is determined to return to flying. “Did my love die for aviation? Not at all. Not at all,” he said with a smile. “I'm just glad that I was able to do my part.”