Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described Indian flydubai captain Smit Machchhar as a key figure in preventing a potential mass-casualty disaster after the pilot was allegedly attacked by his co-pilot during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Recounting the incident in an interview with CBS News, Netanyahu said Machchhar was seriously injured and bleeding heavily but still managed to unlock the cockpit door while the aircraft was entering a steep descent. Netanyahu called the captain’s actions a “tremendous act of heroism” and said they helped prevent what he described as another possible “9/11-style” crash. His account adds further details to the dramatic sequence aboard Flight FZ1073 on Wednesday.
According to Netanyahu, Machchhar was attacked by the co-pilot with a weapon that he described as either a stabbing instrument or an axe. The Israeli prime minister said the Indian captain was “fighting for his life” when he managed to unlock the cockpit door. By that stage, the Boeing 737 was reportedly descending rapidly. Flight-tracking data cited by multiple reports showed the aircraft falling by roughly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds, while CBS reported a total descent of about 17,000 feet during the wider sequence before the aircraft stabilised. The plane eventually made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Netanyahu also described how an Israeli passenger sitting in row 18 reacted after hearing screams from the cockpit. According to the prime minister, the passenger rushed forward and initially tried to open the cockpit door but was thrown aside when the aircraft suddenly went into a nosedive. He later managed to reach the cockpit and enter after the door was opened. Netanyahu said the passenger then saw the attacking pilot interfering with equipment between the two pilot seats, which he believed indicated an attempt to bring the aircraft down. The passenger and other people aboard the flight subsequently helped subdue the attacker.
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The confrontation allowed other crew members and two off-duty pilots who were travelling as passengers to take control of the aircraft. They subsequently landed the plane safely at Tabuk, where the injured pilots received medical treatment. There were 174 people aboard Flight FZ1073, according to Israeli officials. The passengers were later flown from Saudi Arabia to Israel on a replacement flydubai aircraft. Machchhar, who sustained serious injuries, was reported to be in stable condition. The co-pilot, an Omani national, was arrested after the aircraft landed, according to reports.
Netanyahu has praised both Machchhar and the passengers who intervened, saying their actions prevented a catastrophic outcome. In a separate statement, he called Machchhar a “true hero” and said the captain’s actions helped save the lives of all 174 people aboard the aircraft. Another Israeli passenger, Yaniv Hayun, has also been publicly praised after describing how he entered the cockpit during the emergency and helped regain control of the aircraft. The accounts from Netanyahu and passengers provide details of the confrontation, while investigators continue to establish the precise sequence of events.
The motive behind the incident remains under investigation. Netanyahu told CBS News that he did not believe the episode necessarily amounted to a conventional hijacking and said it was too early to determine the co-pilot’s motive. He also raised the possibility of a suicide attempt, based on what the passenger reportedly saw inside the cockpit. Authorities in Saudi Arabia, Israel and the United Arab Emirates are investigating different aspects of the incident, while questions remain over the weapon used, the co-pilot’s intentions and how the cockpit confrontation developed. For now, the description of the incident as an attempted crash or terrorist attack remains subject to the ongoing investigation.
Also Read: Trump: Co-Pilot Who Stabbed Captain on Israel-Bound Flight 'Perhaps a Terrorist'