Stabbed and bleeding, how Indian pilot’s one move prevented 9/11-style attack
Bleeding heavily after being stabbed multiple times inside the cockpit by his co-pilot, Captain Smit Machchhar’s quick thinking proved to be critical to the survival of the 174 pᴀssengers aboard the Israel-bound flydubai flight. Machchhar, who is being hailed as a hero worldwide, not only sent out emergency signals but also, crucially and on time, opened the cockpit door, allowing pᴀssengers to rush in and overpower the attacking co-pilot. Israeli officials said the co-pilot, an Omani national, wanted to take over the aircraft’s controls and crash it.
On Wednesday, pure chaos unfolded on board flydubai’s flight FZ 1073. Two hours into the three-hour flight from Saudi Arabia to Tel Aviv, the aircraft transmitted distress code 7700, the signal for a general emergency. Seconds later, it transmitted the code 7500, which indicates possible hijacking or unlawful interference.
HOW THINGS UNFOLDED ON FLYDUBAI FLIGHT?
While details of the sequence of events remain sketchy, Machchhar likely sent the signals even as he fought back the co-pilot. While eyewitness accounts said the captain was attacked with a folding knife, some reports suggested that the co-pilot could have well used the fire axe that is factory-fitted in the cockpit.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also suggested that the cockpit axe might have been used in the attack.
“There was an attack by one of the pilots against the other pilot. Apparently, he stabbed him, or he hit him with an axe. He was bleeding profusely,” Netanyahu said in an interview with Fox News.
As is the norm everywhere, pilots in the Middle East go through the same security screenings as pᴀssengers, meaning they would not be able to bring weapons such as knives or guns on board.
As the drama played out, the aircraft plummeted and spun out of control – reportedly spiralling 17,000 feet. Due to the emergency signals sent by the Indian captain, Israel scrambled its fighter jets, fearing a hijacking attempt.
But what unfolded inside the Boeing aircraft was nothing short of a Hollywood thriller.
Lying on the cockpit floor and covered in blood, Machchhar used the “last moments of his energy” to click open the cockpit door, Doron Spielman, the Israeli Prime Minister’s spokesperson, told The Times of Israel.
Ajay Singh, SpiceJet CMD, told ANI said it was particularly challenging as the handle that opens the cockpit door is on the co-pilot’s side.
“It would have needed real courage after being stabbed to reach out to the co-pilot’s side and open the door,” Singh said.
The split-second decision proved to be mᴀssive.
It allowed pᴀssengers to enter the cockpit and subdue the co-pilot, who was allegedly interfering with the aircraft’s controls in a likely attempt to crash it in Israel. Tel Aviv was just an hour away.
“At that moment, some of the pᴀssengers who realised something was happening raced forward and entered the pilot’s cabin. They saw the injured pilot on the ground, and the other… pilot was standing over the control panel, bashing the control panel,” Spielman said.
The move by Machchhar was also praised by US President Donald Trump. “The pilot was in very bad shape… But in a way, he was a hero to open the door,” Trump said.
The timing also proved to be crucial in saving his own life as well. Among those who ran to the cockpit was Dr SH๏τa Musaev, a dentist. His timely intervention saved Machchhar’s life.
“He was covered in cuts – his head, his hands – they were practically sliced open. He lost a lot of blood and was in bad shape,” Musaev told CNN.
“I think that if we had waited even a few more moments, we would have lost him; his blood pressure had plummeted,” he further said.
✓ Ryan Mitchell
Bleeding heavily after being stabbed multiple times inside the cockpit by his co-pilot, Captain Smit Machchhar’s quick thinking proved to be critical to the survival of the…