- Pilot Smit Machchhar detailed flydubai cockpit attack to Netanyahu.
- Co-pilot Hamam Al Hammami attacked Machchhar mid-flight.
- Machchhar fought back, opened door, prevented catastrophic disaster.
Smit Machchhar, the pilot of the flydubai flight FZ1073, detailed the sequence of events that unfolded inside the cockpit for the first time during the conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Machchhar said that his Omani co-pilot stood up to pray and hit the back of his head.
"It was a normal flight, and the co-pilot wanted to pray, which a lot of locals do. While he was praying, out of respect, I just looked at the front and not at the back. And suddenly, after about four or five minutes, there was a big blow to the back of my head," he said.
Narrating the incident, he recalled that the blow was sudden, which led him to initially think the aircraft suffered damage.
"But then after that, the blows kept coming. That’s when I realised that it’s not the aircraft; it’s the other guy who was in the cockpit with me," he added.
Machchhar also spoke about his struggle with the Omani co-pilot and how he ultimately succeeded in opening the cockpit door, which made him a hero.
Machchhar said that his vision had blurred while he was trying to stop the attacker. He also recalled that he had opened the door after the initial attack, but the co-pilot closed it again, following which he fell to the floor.
Machhar recounted the 'one last fight left in him'. "I had that one last fight left in me. Call it personal or call it for people, but let’s say I did it. If I don’t do it, I’m going to die. That’s when I pushed against everything I gave, everything that I had, and just went for the door and opened the door. And thankfully, people were waiting to pounce back, took over the control, and the rest is what you know sir," he told Netanyahu.
Machchhar also explained the mechanism involved in the opening of the door and complexities in opening it.
"From the outside, it could only be opened with a code. My colleagues from outside were trying to put in the code, but the guy was not allowing them to open the door," he said.
Machchhar said the only way to open the door was to reach the knob. "It was a short, quick twist. Once I had my hands on the knob, I twisted and opened it."
Netanyahu took the moment to invite Machchhar to the Israeli Independence Day celebrations. "You are a hero for Israel, India and the entire world. I invite you to light a torch on Israel’s Independence Day."
The Israeli PM also extended an invitation to PM Modi. He said, "I want to have Captain Smit and Prime Minister Modi, our great friends. I really would like them to bear a celebratory flame. It’s our highest honour that we give on our Independence Day. It’s usually reserved for Israeli citizens, but I think, in this case, all the citizens of Israel will embrace you."
Notably, Machchhar is currently hospitalised in Dubai. He was stabbed by his Omani co-pilot, now identified as Hamam Al Hammami, mid-air in a bid to hijack the aircraft and possibly crash it in a 9/11-like terror attack, as claimed by several media outlets.
Machchhar, who was seriously injured, clashed with the perpetrator and managed to open the door, which prevented a catastrophic disaster as 174 passengers and a full flight crew were aboard the plane.
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