On FlyDubai Flight 1073, a passenger discovered his pilot, Captain Smit Machchhar, lying on the floor covered in blood after head, neck and hand wounds, with a hijacker bound and lying in the cabin. Without hesitation, Dr. Shota Musaev, a dentist, rushed to the cockpit and applied pressure to stop the bleeding. He described the encounter to ABC News on Thursday.
The Hijacking
According to Israeli officials, an unnamed co-pilot is said to have struck Machchhar with a blade and sent the aircraft into a downward plunge during the trip from Dubai to Tel Aviv. A second passenger, Yaniv Hayun, reportedly pulled the suspect from the cockpit, seized control of the plane and steadied it before a third pilot took over and guided the jet to Saudi Arabia, as other passengers have recounted.
Tying Up the Suspect
Musaev stated that after the aircraft was leveled, he observed the suspect and, along with another passenger, secured the suspect’s hands using headphones. The dentist added that the suspect, who is now held in custody, spoke little beyond saying he came from Oman and then told him “Kill me, kill me, please.”.
“Once he had been subdued, caught, he didn’t resist,” Musaev said.
Treating the Pilot
Capt. Machchhar had wounds on his head, neck and hands, and he was bleeding from all of them. Musaev turned his attention to him and began applying pressure to the wounds in an effort to stop the bleeding.
“Everything will be good,” Musaev said he told the pilot as he treated him. “He said to me, ‘Help me, please. Help me, please. I don’t want to die here.'”
Saudi Arabia was where the plane touched down and the passengers received medical care. According to Musaev, the entire episode spanned roughly 40 minutes.
Aftermath
He said on Thursday he was still only understanding what they had been through. “Do you understand we were five to ten seconds from dying?” he said, choking up.
According to the Indian consulate in Dubai, Captain Machchhar received treatment at a local hospital in Saudi Arabia before being moved to a second hospital in the United Arab Emirates. In a statement Thursday, the Indian ambassador noted that Machchhar was talking freely, smiling and laughing, bringing great relief to everyone, especially his family.
Officials from Saudi Arabia say that the co-pilot is being held in custody in Abu Dhabi.
What We Make Of It
An extraordinary tale of common folk who acted with uncommon resolve under intense strain: Musaev needed no command from above; he observed a man upon the ground and resolved to lend aid. Hayun seized the assailant from the cockpit and brought the vessel into balance. A third pilot assumed the controls.
What makes this account striking is the series of rapid choices made by passengers, rather than by people with professional training.
Musaev expressed hope that he would someday reunite with the captain to thank him for saving him and the other passengers, even though the captain was injured.
“We’ll say thank you very much for all,” he said, adding that it was a collective effort in handling the situation.
Key Facts
- Flight: FlyDubai Flight 1073, Dubai to Tel Aviv
- Location of landing: Saudi Arabia
- Duration of ordeal: Around 40 minutes
- Pilot status: Capt. Machchhar transferred to hospital in UAE, speaking openly, smiling and laughing
- Co-pilot: In custody in Abu Dhabi
This tale plays out with all the suspense of a thriller, yet it is rooted in reality. The passengers acted as a single unit, working together to overpower the hijacker, bind him, and ensure the aircraft kept going until a replacement pilot could step in.
Source material: “FlyDubai flight passenger details treating wounded pilot after tying up suspect,” ABC News.
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