Flydubai captain describes co-pilot’s alleged cockpit attack and escape attempt

Captain Smit Machchhar has described how he fought to regain control of a flydubai aircraft after the co-pilot allegedly attacked him with an axe during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Machchhar said the Boeing 737 MAX 8 was flying normally on September 30 when the Omani co-pilot, identified in the supplied material as Hamam al-Hammami, stood up and said he wanted to pray. Machchhar said he did not regard the action as unusual and deliberately kept looking ahead.

After about four or five minutes, he felt a heavy blow to the back of his head. He initially thought the aircraft had suffered a catastrophic impact, but a second blow made him realise that the attack was coming from behind. Machchhar said the strikes severely blurred his vision and that he could feel the aircraft descending sharply.

He reached the cockpit door and opened it, but the attacker closed it, causing the injured captain to fall to the floor. He then made another attempt. Machchhar said he believed it was his last opportunity and used all his strength to reach and turn the door’s internal knob.

When the door opened, passengers were waiting outside and entered the cockpit, overpowering the co-pilot. The flight, carrying 174 people, most of them Israelis, eventually diverted to Tabuk in north-western Saudi Arabia and landed safely. Machchhar was injured and has been recovering after being moved from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates.

The account was given during a video call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who invited Machchhar and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel’s Independence Day and called the pilot a hero. The supplied material says investigations by authorities in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Israel are examining the incident, including its motive and whether it involved terrorism or prior planning.