‘He Said He Was Going to Pray—Then Struck Me With an Axe’: Captain Smit Recalls Terrifying Flydubai Cockpit Attack

New Delhi: Flydubai Captain Smit Machhar has revealed chilling new details of the September 30 cockpit attack aboard a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, recounting how his Omani co-pilot allegedly got up under the pretext of offering prayers before striking him from behind with an emergency axe.

Speaking to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu via video conference on Saturday, Machhar described the moments of terror inside the cockpit and how, despite suffering serious injuries and blurred vision, he fought to regain control of the aircraft and save the passengers on board.

‘I Thought He Was Praying Behind Me’

Machhar said the Boeing 737 MAX 8 was flying normally when the co-pilot, Hammam al-Hammami, suddenly left his seat and began praying behind him.

The captain said he deliberately avoided turning around out of respect.

Around four or five minutes later, he was suddenly hit hard on the back of his head. The weapon, he said, was an axe kept aboard the aircraft for emergency situations.

The first blow was so unexpected that Machhar initially thought the aircraft had collided with something or suffered a serious technical failure. After a second blow, however, he realized that the person behind him was attacking him.

Vision Blurred as Aircraft Began Losing Altitude

The attack left Machhar disoriented, with his vision badly blurred. Amid the struggle, he realized that the aircraft was rapidly losing altitude.

Despite his injuries, the captain managed to reach the cockpit door and attempted to open it.

“I opened the cockpit door once, but the co-pilot shut it, and I fell to the floor,” Machhar recounted.

He then realized he might have only one more chance to save everyone aboard. Summoning his remaining strength, he reached the door again and managed to open it a second time.

Second Attempt Saved the Flight

As the cockpit door opened, people waiting outside rushed inside and overpowered the attacker. Their intervention helped restore control of the aircraft.

Machhar also clarified a detail about the cockpit door during his conversation with Netanyahu. He explained that there was no “pin” that needed to be pulled. The door could be opened from inside by turning a knob, while people outside had to enter a security code.

According to Machhar, his colleagues were trying to enter the code from outside, but the attacker was preventing the door from opening. Reaching the knob was therefore crucial.

174 People Were on Board

Flydubai flight FZ1073 was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30 with 174 people aboard, most of them Israelis.

Following the cockpit attack, the aircraft entered a rapid descent, creating a crisis resembling a hijacking. The attacker was eventually subdued, and control of the aircraft was restored. The plane was diverted to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.

Authorities in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Israel are investigating the incident, including the motive behind the attack and whether there was any prior conspiracy or extremist connection.

Netanyahu has described the co-pilot as having been influenced by what he called “Islamic radical ideology.”

‘If I Don’t Get Up, Passengers Could Die’

Earlier, while speaking with Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the hospital, Machhar recalled lying injured on the cockpit floor and realizing that he had to get back on his feet.

He told Modi that although he was fighting for his own life, he knew that the lives of everyone aboard could be at risk if he remained down.

Machhar, who has 17 years of flying experience, said his familiarity with the aircraft helped him understand what was happening even when his vision was impaired. During the ordeal, he also drew strength from his faith and recited the Hanuman Chalisa.

Netanyahu Calls Machhar a ‘Hero’

Netanyahu praised Captain Smit Machhar for his courage, calling him a “hero of Israel, India, and the world.”

The Israeli prime minister has also invited Machhar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend Israel’s Independence Day celebrations.

For Machhar, the decisive moment came when he made a second attempt to open the cockpit door—despite severe injuries, blurred vision and the fear that he might not survive. That act allowed people outside to enter the cockpit, overpower the attacker and help save the lives of all those aboard.