FlyDubai captain describes fight for his life after cockpit attack on Tel Aviv-bound flight
The Indian pilot who was allegedly attacked by his co-pilot during a FlyDubai flight to Tel Aviv earlier this week is describing the moment he managed to open the cockpit door, realizing he had "one last fight left in me."
Capt. Smit Machchhar spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a speaker phone conversation while the pilot was recovering in a hospital in the United Arab Emirates and the prime minister expressed his gratitude for preventing the co-pilot from harming more people.
The suspect, who multiple sources familiar with the investigation identified as 29-year-old Hamam Al Hammami, allegedly attacked Machchhar with a weapon inside the cockpit and took the controls of the plane, making it plunge, according to officials.
Machchhar told Netanyahu the whole thing happened suddenly after the co-pilot requested to pray, which he said is normal during flights, and then a few minutes later he felt a blow to his head.
"My first thought was that there was a catastrophic damage to the aircraft, and something is not right. But then, after that, the blow kept coming one after the other, and that's when I realized that it's not the aircraft; it's the other guy who was in the cockpit with me," he said in his call with the prime minister.
Machchhar said his vision was blurred from the blows and he felt the plane descend. Despite suffering wounds from the blade, the captain said he "had that one last fight left in me."
He said he realized 'that if I don't do it, I'm gonna die, and that's when I pushed against everything. I gave everything that I had, and just went for the door and opened the door," he said.
The suspect was stopped after Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to get in fight off the suspect, and take back the controls, investigators said.
Yaniv Hayun, who works as a plumber, was the passenger who removed the suspect from the cockpit and initially took the plane controls, crediting a TV show for knowing what to do in a flight emergency. He told reporters that he would like to meet Machchhar and thank him in person.
The captain told Netanyahu that he too would like to return the gratitude face to face.
Dr. Shota Musaev, a dentist who treated the captain's wounds after he helped to tie up the suspect, also expressed wishes to thank Machchhar in person.
"We'll say thank you very much for all," Musaev told ABC News.
The captain told Netanyahu that he too would like to return the gratitude to the dentist face to face.
"He saved my life, to be honest," he said.
The suspect has been taken into custody and the investigation is ongoing.
Netanyahu told the captain that he is invited to Israel where he said he will be treated as a hero.
