Flydubai captain recounts co-pilot attack in cockpit — The National

In the UAE, Flydubai captain Smith Machchhar recounted an attack by the co-pilot in the cockpit of a Boeing 737 operating flight 1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv. According to the captain, the co-pilot struck him several times with an axe, then took control of the aircraft and put it into a steep descent. All 172 passengers and crew members aboard on September 30 survived.

As The National reports, the aircraft lost 17,000 feet of altitude in less than a minute. Machchhar said that at first he thought a piece of equipment had fallen on him in the cockpit, but after further blows he realized that his colleague was carrying out the attack.

Fight for access to the cockpit

The captain suffered serious injuries to his head and arm, including wounds sustained while trying to defend himself. He unfastened his seat belts and tried to open the cockpit door, which was locked from the inside, while calling for help from colleagues. According to Machchhar, he lost consciousness several times due to blood loss.

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The pilot said he regained consciousness when he heard the engines slowing down and felt the aircraft rapidly descending. After the door was opened, passengers and crew members subdued the co-pilot, while two Flydubai pilots who were travelling as passengers took control of the aircraft.

Investigation and recovery

The co-pilot was detained in the UAE and faces terrorism charges. According to the UAE prosecution, this was a premeditated terrorist plot to hijack the aircraft. Prosecutors also stated that he had been radicalized through Islamist content online and at a religious educational center in Australia.

Machchhar said that before the attack, he had not noticed anything suspicious in the co-pilot's behavior. He is recovering at Zayed Military Hospital in Abu Dhabi and said he wants to return to flying after he recovers.