Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar has recounted how he fought to regain control of Flydubai Flight FZ1073 after being attacked by his co-pilot, revealing that two other pilots travelling as passengers later entered the cockpit and took control of the aircraft. Machchhar, speaking to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, said the September 30 flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was proceeding normally when co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami told him he wanted to pray.
He said he was then struck repeatedly from behind, causing his vision to blur as the aircraft entered a sharp descent.
The incident has triggered an investigation by UAE authorities, who have described the attack as an attempted terrorist act. And I was completely blurred out. He managed to open it once, but al-Hammami shut it again, leaving Machchhar injured on the cockpit floor. He then made another attempt to reach the door mechanism. “I had one last fight left in me.
Because of his initial blows, my vision was almost like nothing, “I did try to stop him, but.
UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said investigators found that the co-pilot had used a crash axe kept in the cockpit and attempted to seize control of the aircraft. And at that point, the next feeling that I had was that the aircraft was sharply going down,” he said. Despite his injuries, Machchhar said he continued trying to reach the cockpit door. As he heard people outside the cockpit, Machchhar said he realised that opening the door again could be his only chance to stop the attack. Call it personal or call it for people, but let’s say I did it, that if I don’t do it, I’m going to die,” he said.
“It was a normal flight, and he wanted to pray, which is not out of the ordinary.
There was nothing unusual about the flight before the attack, according to Machchhar. He said al-Hammami told him that he wanted to pray, and he looked towards the front of the aircraft while the co-pilot prayed behind him. out of respect, I was looking at the front, not at the back, and suddenly there was a big blow to the back of my head,” Machchhar said While he was praying.
