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Tag: Smit Machchhar

  • Flydubai FZ1073: The 5 people who helped stop a mid-air catastrophe

    Flydubai FZ1073: The 5 people who helped stop a mid-air catastrophe

    Flydubai flight FZ1073 was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30 when an incident inside the cockpit triggered a serious emergency. The aircraft was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia and landed safely, with passengers and crew accounted for.

    The airline has said the cause and motive of the incident remain subject to investigation. Israeli officials and passengers later described the episode as an apparent attempt by the first officer to take control of the aircraft and crash it.

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    Captain holds the line

    Captain Smit Machchhar was badly injured, yet the cockpit door became the turning point on Flydubai flight FZ1073 as passengers rushed in and confronted the suspected attacker | X (@Starboy2079)
    Captain Smit Machchhar was badly injured, yet the cockpit door became the turning point on Flydubai flight FZ1073 as passengers rushed in and confronted the suspected attacker | X (@Starboy2079)

    At the center of the response was Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot-in-command.

    Machchhar was attacked and suffered serious injuries. Despite being wounded, he managed to open the cockpit door, allowing people outside to enter.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi later praised Machchhar for showing courage and resolve while seriously injured. He is recovering in a hospital in Tabuk, according to the reports.

    From fixing pipes to helping steady a plane

    Israeli Yaniv Hayun helped avert a tragedy aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073, after the co-pilot attacked the pilot and the plane began to dangerously lose altitude | X (@NOOLVIDAR11)
    Israeli Yaniv Hayun helped avert a tragedy aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073, after the co-pilot attacked the pilot and the plane began to dangerously lose altitude | X (@NOOLVIDAR11)

    That open cockpit door became a crucial moment. Israeli passenger Yaniv Hayun, a plumber, was among those who rushed inside.

    Hayun told Israeli media that he found the suspected attacker near the controls and pulled him away.

    He also said he had watched “Air Crash Investigation” and used what he remembered to pull back on the aircraft controls as the plane was descending.

    “I watched ‘Air Crash Investigation,’ so I pulled the controls, and the plane began to level out,” Hayun said.

    Quite the unusual rescue party

    Hayun was not alone. Assaf Rajuan, an insurance agency owner, also entered the cockpit and helped overpower the suspected attacker.

    Zvika Manes, the CEO of Bank Leumi’s underwriting company, helped restrain the man. Passenger accounts said cables from the aircraft’s multimedia headphones were used to help tie him down.

    Rajuan said passengers and crew kept the attacker restrained while the aircraft was diverted to Saudi Arabia.

    The fourth passenger was dentist Dr. Shota Musaev. After helping restrain the attacker, Musaev turned to Machchhar, who had suffered heavy bleeding.

    Musaev said he was the only doctor on the flight and managed to stop the bleeding. “I managed to stop the bleeding,” he said.

    The pilot remained conscious and was able to communicate, according to Musaev’s account.

    Never off-duty

    Two off-duty pilots who were travelling as passengers also played a critical role.

    They subsequently took over the aircraft’s operation and helped land it safely at Tabuk. That means the rescue was not the work of one person alone.

    Machchhar’s actions helped open the cockpit; passengers subdued the suspected attacker; a dentist treated the injured captain; and pilots among the passengers helped fly the aircraft.

    Also Read | Flydubai cockpit attack: Was Indian pilot Smit Machchhar hit with an axe?

    Why remains elusive

    This is the damage from a sudden drop in altitude of Flydubai Boeing 737 MAX 8 flight FZ1073 | X (@aprajitanefes)
    This is the damage from a sudden drop in altitude of Flydubai Boeing 737 MAX 8 flight FZ1073 | X (@aprajitanefes)

    The exact motive behind the cockpit attack has not been established.

    Israeli authorities have described the incident as an apparent attempt to crash the plane, while Flydubai has urged against premature conclusions as the investigation continues.

    What is clear is that a potentially catastrophic mid-air emergency ended with the aircraft landing safely in Saudi Arabia.

  • Flydubai cockpit attack: Was Indian pilot Smit Machchhar hit with an axe?

    Flydubai cockpit attack: Was Indian pilot Smit Machchhar hit with an axe?

    Was an axe used to attack Indian pilot Smit Machchhar during the alleged flydubai crash attempt? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has raised that possibility, saying the captain was either stabbed or hit with an axe during the cockpit confrontation. However, the exact weapon used in the attack has not yet been confirmed.

    The incident took place on Wednesday as the flydubai aircraft was approaching Israel. The flight was carrying 174 passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the co-pilot allegedly attacked Machchhar, causing the aircraft to lose nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds.

    Did the attacker use an axe or a knife?

    Netanyahu discussed the incident during an interview with Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity, which aired on Wednesday night. Describing the attack, he said, “On a flight from Dubai to Israel, as they were approaching Israel, there was an attack by one of the pilots against the other pilot.”

    Also Read | A flight to Israel, a cockpit fight and a hijacking scare: What happened?

    “Apparently, he stabbed him, or he hit him with an axe. He was bleeding profusely,” Netanyahu said.

    Flydubai attack: Was Smit Machchhar hit with an axe?
    Netanyahu raises axe theory in flydubai pilot attack | ANI

    The statement leaves the question of the weapon open. While Netanyahu mentioned an axe as a possibility, passenger accounts referred to a knife.

    Passengers aboard the flight reportedly saw a man holding a knife while one of the pilots was lying injured and covered in blood.

    Could an axe have been available inside the cockpit?

    A pilot operating in the region, but not working for flydubai, told Reuters that pilots could have access to metal knives used for meal service or a crash axe.

    Crash axes are commonly kept in aircraft cockpits for emergencies. They can be used to break windows or open panels when access is needed during situations such as a fire.

    Flydubai flight to Israel: Cockpit fight sparks scare
    Flydubai cockpit attack leaves weapon mystery unresolved | X(@Flydubai)

    It therefore remains unclear whether the alleged attacker used a knife, a crash axe or another object. No definitive public confirmation of the weapon has been provided in the information available so far.

    What happened after the cockpit assault?

    The alleged attack triggered a struggle inside the aircraft as the plane rapidly lost altitude. Passengers and crew members entered the cockpit and overpowered the co-pilot.

    Two other flydubai pilots who were travelling on the same flight then took control of the aircraft and landed it safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, according to Israeli officials.

    Machchhar, who was injured during the confrontation, was taken to hospital after the aircraft landed. Netanyahu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump later praised the Indian pilot as a “hero”.

    Netanyahu said that the suspected co-pilot was arrested and described him as a possible Omani national. Authorities in Saudi Arabia and the UAE have also confirmed that investigations are underway.

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    “We’ll get to the root of ⁠this attacker, whether he had accomplices,” Netanyahu said, while adding that it was “too early to say” when asked about possible Iranian involvement.

    For now, the central question surrounding the flydubai cockpit assault remains unanswered: was Machchhar attacked with a knife or an axe? The investigation is expected to establish what weapon was actually used.