Captain Smit Machchhar, a veteran pilot with FlyDubai and an Indian national, is fighting for his life in hospital after a knife attack in the cockpit that nearly brought down a passenger jet with hundreds aboard, many of them Israelis.
Machchhar was stabbed repeatedly by his Omani co-pilot late in the flight, close to Israeli airspace, according to passenger accounts. The co-pilot is believed to have used a sharp object, possibly the emergency axe stored in the cockpit for use after a crash.
Despite severe wounds and heavy bleeding, Machchhar held off the attacker long enough to unlock the cockpit door, a move that saved the aircraft. The co-pilot had already put the plane into a steep dive in an attempt to crash it, but Machchha remained conscious just long enough to open the reinforced door, which is sealed and nearly impenetrable under normal circumstances.
Israeli passengers broke through the open door, overpowered the co-pilot, and pulled the aircraft out of its dive. He collapsed immediately after unlocking the door. He is now in serious condition, being treated for his injuries.
