“Do you understand we were five to ten seconds from dying?” Dr. Shota Musaev told ABC News about the violent mid-air attack aboard FlyDubai Flight 1073.
The Israeli dentist became a quick-thinking medical responder when an unidentified co-pilot allegedly attacked Captain Smit Machchhar with a knife during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, forcing the aircraft into a nose dive. Passengers rushed to the cockpit as the harrowing ordeal unfolded over approximately 40 minutes.
Intervention in the Cockpit
Passenger Yaniv Hayun dragged the suspect from the cockpit, took control of the aircraft, and leveled it before a third pilot took over to fly the jet to Saudi Arabia. Once the plane was stabilized, Musaev and another passenger tied the suspect’s hands using headphones.
Once he had been subdued, caught, he didn’t resist,
Musaev said, noting that the suspect stated he was from Oman and told him, Kill me, kill me, please.
Treating the Wounded Captain
Musaev immediately shifted his focus to Captain Machchhar, who suffered bleeding wounds to his head, neck, and hands. Applying pressure to stop the bleeding, Musaev recalled telling the pilot, Everything will be good,
to which Machchhar replied, Help me, please. Help me, please. I don’t want to die here.
The aircraft landed in Saudi Arabia, where passengers received medical treatment. Captain Machchhar was treated at a local hospital in Saudi Arabia and later transferred to another hospital in the United Arab Emirates, according to the Indian consulate in Dubai. The Indian ambassador stated on Thursday that Machchhar was speaking openly, smiling and laughing, which was a great relief for us and, above all, for his family.
Aftermath and Custody
The suspect is currently in custody in Abu Dhabi, according to officials from Saudi Arabia. Reflecting on the collective effort to handle the emergency, Musaev expressed a desire to reunite with the captain.
We’ll say thank you very much for all,
Musaev said.
