How a dentist, a plumber helped Captain Machchhar

On board a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, Captain Smit Machchhar was stabbed by another pilot during an incident in the cockpit. Despite suffering severe injuries, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door and allow passengers and crew to rush in, overpower the attacker and regain control of the plane. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lauded Machchhar's actions, stating that he fought back, resisted and opened the cockpit door, enabling people to overpower the attacker.

Passengers and crew members played a crucial role in safely landing the Boeing 737 MAX. Among those who helped was Yaniv Hayoun, an off-duty plumber, who moved towards the controls and began pulling them back as passengers wrestled with the attacker. Another passenger, Dr. Shota Musaev, a dentist, rushed towards the cockpit to find the attacker on top of Machchhar, stabbing him. Dr. Musaev helped restrain the attacker using headphone cords and plastic zip ties.

Two relief pilots, described as a British and an off-duty pilot from South Africa or New Zealand, were also on board and assisted in stabilizing the aircraft. Aviation experts noted that the forces involved during the descent were severe, but the aircraft managed to land safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Machchhar, who received hospital treatment, was in stable condition.