According to the BBC on October 2nd, Captain Smit Machchhar recounted that he was lying on the floor and continuing to be attacked when he realized the plane, carrying over 170 passengers, was losing altitude drastically. He understood that he had to act.
"I was lying on the floor, injured, but I told myself I had to try one last time to open the door from the inside," pilot Machchhar said during a video call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Others rushed in and helped control the situation. Of course, I was fighting to protect my own life, but at the same time, I knew I wouldn't let others die," he added.
Machchhar said his 17 years of flying experience, including 11 years as a captain, gave him a deep understanding of aircraft conditions. "I can tell what's happening to the plane even with my eyes closed."
Flydubai flight FZ1073, departing from Dubai to Tel Aviv on the morning of September 30th, experienced a drop in altitude of over 5,200 meters after approximately 2.5 hours of flight.
The crew had previously sent a distress signal to air traffic controllers, then switched to squawk 7500, a code indicating a hijacking. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later told the media that one pilot had rammed the other and then "appeared to be trying to crash the plane."
After other passengers subdued the attacker, the two reserve pilots on board safely landed the plane at Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia at 6:58 local time.
The Indian Embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said that Mr. Machchhar is recovering well.
In a related development, The Guardian quoted the UAE Attorney General today, October 3rd, as saying that the co-pilot of Flydubai flight FZ1073 used an emergency axe to carry out a "terrorist attack" during the flight. Axes are commonly kept in the cockpit for use in emergency situations.
According to a statement from the UAE, the Attorney General said the co-pilot also attempted to take control of the aircraft during the attack.
Authorities said the co-pilot's actions nearly caused a disaster for the plane carrying hundreds of people, pushing it into a sudden downward trajectory.
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/co-truong-chuyen-bay-flydubai-ke-lai-viec-bi-tan-cong-trong-buong-lai-2561403.html
