- Dentist treated stabbed Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar mid-air.
- Pilot suffered deep wounds, severe blood loss during cockpit confrontation.
- Passengers restrained attacker, diverted Flydubai flight safely to Tabuk.
A dentist travelling as a passenger on flydubai flight FZ1073 has revealed how he treated Indian Captain Smit Machchhar after the pilot was allegedly stabbed during a cockpit confrontation, describing the captain as being in serious condition and close to losing consciousness from blood loss.
Dr Shota Mosaev said he was the only doctor aboard the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight and rushed towards the cockpit after hearing screams. By the time he reached Machchhar, the captain had suffered deep wounds to his head and hands and was bleeding heavily.
“When I heard screaming, after 10 seconds I ran; I didn’t wait,” Musayev tells The Times of Israel upon his arrival at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.
“He was covered in cuts. His head and his hands were practically sliced open, almost severed in two. He was in serious condition, not critical perhaps, but serious because of the blood loss,” News18 quoted Mosaev
The dentist said Machchhar’s condition deteriorated while he was being treated, with his blood pressure dropping as he began to lose consciousness. “His blood pressure was dropping; he began losing consciousness," Mosaev recalled.
Mosaev said his immediate task was to control the bleeding and stabilise the captain. “I was the only doctor on the plane," he said, adding that he eventually managed to stop the bleeding and stabilise Machchhar’s blood pressure.
What Passengers Found Inside The Cockpit
While Mosaev treated the injured captain, passengers and others aboard the aircraft were dealing with the alleged attacker. Mosaev said the group restrained the suspect to prevent him from returning to the aircraft controls.
“We also tied up the terrorist," he said.
According to Mosaev, the suspect did not resist after being restrained. “He didn’t scream at all; he just sat down quietly and went along with it," he said.
The people restraining him initially used the cord from a pair of headphones. Plastic zip ties were later brought in and used to secure him. The account provides a new first-hand description of the moments after the reported cockpit confrontation, when passengers and crew members were simultaneously trying to control the attacker and help the injured captain.
The Captain’s Role In Opening The Cockpit
Machchhar’s actions during the confrontation have been credited with allowing passengers to enter the cockpit. According to an account from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesperson, the injured captain used the “last moments of his energy" to open the cockpit door while lying on the floor.
Passengers then entered the flight deck and helped overpower the attacker. Off-duty flydubai pilots travelling as passengers also assisted with operating the aircraft, allowing it to be diverted safely to Tabuk.
Around 174 passengers were on board the flight. They were later transported to Israel on replacement flights after spending several hours in Saudi Arabia.
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