‘I lost consciousness’: Captain Smit recalls co-pilot’s mid-air attack on flydubai flight

In an interview with the UAE-based newspaper The National, Machchhar described how the assault left him struggling to see clearly before he managed to reach the cockpit door. He was later taken to Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Military Hospital, where he is recovering.

Captain Smit Machchhar, who is credited with helping avert a potential disaster aboard a flydubai flight on September 30, has recalled the terrifying moments when his co-pilot attacked him inside the cockpit. He said he tried to shield himself from repeated blows before losing consciousness as the aircraft plunged thousands of feet.

In an interview with the UAE-based newspaper The National, Machchhar described how the assault left him struggling to see clearly before he managed to reach the cockpit door. He was later taken to Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Military Hospital, where he is recovering.

Recalling the first blow, Machchhar said he initially thought something had gone wrong with the aircraft itself.

“The first time when I was hit … my thought was something's gone horribly wrong with the aircraft structure, which has fallen on my head. It almost made me fall on my control column. In the next couple of seconds, when the hits kept on coming, (I realised) it was the other person who I thought was supposed to be on the team,” he told The National.

He said his immediate priority was to free himself from his seat belt and protect his head from further blows.

“My immediate action was to free myself from the seat belts. And I tried to just block the blows as much as I could, because the blows were coming on the head… While the first few blows came in, my vision … it was so narrow. I lost a lot. I was just looking (at) outlines,” he said.

Machchhar then tried to open the cockpit door and call for help, but lost consciousness moments later.

“Immediately, my hand went to the knob which opens the door. And (I was) screaming for my colleagues. I believe that was the first time when I lost consciousness. I fell face down in the cockpit,” he recalled.

‘The scariest thing’ as aircraft plunged 17,000 feet

As the aircraft descended by 17,000 feet, Machchhar said the sound of the engines slowing down was among the most frightening moments of the ordeal.

“The scariest thing that I heard and felt was the engines spooling down,” he said.

The captain said he had not suspected that his Omani co-pilot, Hamam al-Hammami, would attack him. He added that he would have raised concerns had he noticed any warning signs before the flight.

“If there was something that could have hinted earlier on the ground or something, yes, of course, I would have acted. I would have spoken up. I would have questioned some things like that,” Machchhar told the newspaper.

Passengers and crew helped restrain co-pilot

According to the account of the incident, al-Hammami attacked Machchhar inside the cockpit with an axe in what was seen as an attempt to crash the aircraft. The captain managed to unlatch the cockpit door, allowing passengers and off-duty crew members to enter and restrain the co-pilot.

A hijacking distress signal was transmitted as the situation unfolded. The flight was subsequently diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it made an emergency landing with the help of passengers who helped land the aircraft.

All 180 people on board disembarked without injury. Despite the attack, Machchhar said his commitment to flying remained unchanged. “Did my love die for aviation? Not at all. Not at all. I'm just glad that I was able to do my part,” he said.

Captain to receive civilian bravery honours

Machchhar’s actions have drawn recognition internationally. Israeli President Isaac Herzog has announced that he would confer Israel’s Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism on the captain.

The Gujarat government has also announced the Visisht Gujarat Garima Award in recognition of his actions during the incident.

(With ANI inputs)

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