Smit Machchhar interview: What happened inside the cockpit of flydubai Flight 1073
Flydubai captain Smit Machchhar has spoken of the moment his co-pilot repeatedly struck him with an axe before sending their Boeing 737 plunging towards the Arabian Desert, with the intention of killing 172 people on board. In a world exclusive interview with The National from his hospital bed in Abu Dhabi, Capt Machchhar said the first officer sitting next to him for two hours had shown no sign…
Captain Smit Machchhar of Flydubai Flight 1073 recounted the harrowing cockpit attack that nearly claimed the lives of all 172 people on board. In an emotional interview with The National, Machchhar described the first officer's brutal assault with an axe, which he initially mistook for a falling piece of equipment. The co-pilot, who prosecutors claim was radicalized online and radicalized by religious studies in Australia, displayed no unusual behavior prior to the attack.
Machchhar, who suffered serious injuries to his head and arm, managed to open the cockpit door from the inside, allowing the attacker to lose control of the Boeing 737. The plane plummeted 17,000 feet in under a minute, but miraculously, all passengers and crew survived. The first officer has been detained and faces terrorism charges.
Machchhar expressed gratitude for the UAE's care and promised to return home, where he was greeted by a smiling President Sheikh Mohamed. The incident has prompted questions about cockpit security and may lead to industry-wide changes.
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