Captain Smit Machchhar, plumber, dentist, 2 pilots: The heroes who saved 174 on Flydubai flight

Captain Smit Machchhar opens cockpit door

Captain Smit Machchhar was already badly injured and lying on the floor of the cockpit when he made a crucial move that helped prevent a catastrophe.

The Indian pilot had reportedly been stabbed by his fellow pilot during the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. As the aircraft plunged thousands of feet, Captain Machchhar managed to release the cockpit door, allowing pᴀssengers and crew to enter and confront the attacker.

Captain Machchhar was taken to a hospital in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after the aircraft landed safely. Indian officials said he was in stable condition.

Plumber enters cockpit

Among the pᴀssengers who rushed towards the cockpit was Yaniv Hayoun, whom Netanyahu described as a plumber.

Hayoun said the wounded Captain Machchhar was on the other side of the cockpit door, making it difficult for pᴀssengers to get inside.

“What made it difficult for us was [Machchhar] himself,” Hayoun later told Netanyahu. “He had been stabbed and was on the other side of the door.”

Once inside, Hayoun helped restrain the attacker. He later told Netanyahu that he also grabbed the aircraft controls as the plane was still in trouble.

“I jumped back, grabbed the controls, and started pulling back the handles,” he said.

Hayoun said his knowledge came partly from watching television programmes about aircraft emergencies. Other pᴀssengers also helped overpower the attacker.

Dentist treats Capt Smit Machchhar

Dr SH๏τa Musaev, a dentist travelling as a pᴀssenger, was another person who rushed towards the cockpit.

He said pᴀssengers found the attacker on top of Captain Machchhar and stabbing him. He told CNN he tied the attacker up using headphone cords and plastic zipties.

Musaev then moved towards the wounded captain, fearing that he might die from his injuries.

“He was covered in cuts – his head, his hands – they were practically sliced open, almost severed in two … he had lost a lot of blood and was in bad shape,” he said.

Musaev said Captain Machchhar’s condition deteriorated rapidly.

“I think that if we had waited even a few more moments, we would have lost him; his blood pressure had plummeted, he suddenly lost consciousness, and there was blood everywhere,” he said.

Musaev also helped restrain the attacker, using headphone cords and plastic zip ties to tie him up.

Off-duty pilots take control

The pᴀssengers and crew could not complete the rescue alone. Once the attacker was subdued, other pilots travelling on the aircraft stepped in to regain control of the Boeing 737.

The flight was carrying two off-duty pilots who were travelling as pᴀssengers and were expected to operate a later flight. Pᴀssenger Almog Itali said they entered the cockpit and helped pull the aircraft out of its steep descent.

“The relief pilots are European, one of them British, who entered [the cockpit] and pulled the aircraft up, pulled the yoke, stabilised the plane and landed us in Saudi Arabia,” Itali said in a clip posted by the BBC..

Some reports have described the off-duty pilots as being from South Africa or New Zealand, so their nationalities have not been officially announced.

Flydubai flight plunged 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds

The Boeing 737 had suffered a dramatic loss of altitude during the confrontation. Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft dropping by roughly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds, with other reports putting the total descent at more than 17,000 feet over a longer period.

Aviation experts said the aircraft had undergone extreme aerodynamic forces during the descent. One expert expressed surprise that the aircraft remained intact, while another said the remaining altitude gave the off-duty pilots enough room to recover it.

The aircraft was diverted to Tabuk in north-western Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. All 174 people on board survived the incident.

Together, the actions of Captain Smit Machchhar, a plumber, a dentist and 2 other pilots turned a rapidly developing cockpit crisis into a safe emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

The investigation into the attack, including the motive and the exact sequence of events, remains underway. The attacker has been detained by Saudi authorities.