Flydubai captain recalls co-pilot’s axe attack in alleged bid to crash plane and kill passengers

The captain of a Flydubai flight, Smit Machchhar, recounted the harrowing experience of being attacked by his co-pilot with an axe during an incident aimed at crashing the plane and killing passengers. In his first interview with Sky News Arabia, Machchhar, who sustained injuries to his head and hand, spoke about the trauma he endured.

Initially thinking a part of the airplane's ceiling had fallen, he was later struck multiple times by the axe, causing him significant pain. Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door to alert another pilot on board, but it closed again shortly afterward. As the engine sounds weakened and the aircraft began to dive, Machchhar recounted the vision being restricted to a few inches.

The prosecutor found that the 29-year-old Omani co-pilot had planned the attack to carry out a suicide mission at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, inspired by the 9/11 attacks in New York. The other pilot, who noticed the unusual movement of the cockpit door, entered the flight deck and, with help from a crew member and passengers, subdued the co-pilot and regained control of the aircraft, leading to an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

Machchhar praised his colleague's actions, stating that they were "commendable" and he would remember them until his death.