‘Don’t sleep please, we need you’, dentist told flydubai pilot as he battled to save him
The dentist who helped save the life of flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar said he feared time was running out when a group of passengers and reserve pilots took control of Flight FZ1073 and stopped what was said to have been an attempted terrorist attack. Dr Shota Musaev, 47, spoke to The National about the terrifying 45 minutes in which he struggled to control the blood gushing from stab wounds on…
Dr Shota Musaev, a 47-year-old dentist, recounted the harrowing 45-minute ordeal on Flight FZ1073, which had been targeted in what authorities believe to be an attempted terrorist attack. As the plane made its way from China via Dubai to Israel, the pilot, Smit Machchhar, was grievously injured by co-pilot and assailant, who wielded a crash axe in an effort to take control of the aircraft.
Dr Musaev, who was settling into a connecting flight with his wife, Sigalit, rushed to the scene upon hearing screams and shouting for a doctor. The pilot's head and hand were severely lacerated, with heavy bleeding that refused to cease despite efforts to apply pressure using T-shirts and ice. Dr Musaev kept the pilot conscious by urging him, "Don't sleep, we need you," and asked about his family, reassuring him that they would be safe as the aircraft neared Saudi Arabia.
Musaev monitored the pilot's vital signs, including pulse and the color of his lips, as they remained at the plane exit, anxiously observing the situation. Passengers worked together to secure the cockpit console and steady the plane, with a small group of fellow travelers vigilantly scanning for any further threats. Upon landing, the doctor handed Machchhar over to medical professionals while expressing gratitude for the entire crew's role in averting a catastrophe.
Musaev's post-traumatic stress and weight loss in the aftermath of the incident reveal the profound psychological impact of the event, but he maintains that every passenger played a crucial part in ensuring the safety of all.
Written by urgent.news from The National UAE's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
