"I Knew the Plane Was Crashing"... The Captain's Struggle That Saved 174 Lives

Captain Seriously Injured, Holds Video Call With Indian Prime Minister From Hospital Bed

Plane Rapidly Descends After Attack... "Used Every Last Bit of Strength"

The captain who was seriously injured after being attacked by the first officer on a Flydubai passenger plane heading to Tel Aviv, Israel, has publicly revealed the circumstances of the incident. The captain, even while bleeding and collapsed, managed to open the cockpit door to allow passengers and crew to enter, explaining that this action prevented the plane from crashing.

According to major international media outlets such as The New York Times (NYT), on October 2 (local time), Captain Smit Machar of Flydubai conducted a video call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi from his hospital bed in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Machar, who was bandaged on his head and hands, explained the urgent situation during the approximately 10-minute call.

On September 30, during Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, Israel, the Omani first officer attacked the captain with a weapon mid-flight. At the time, there were 174 passengers on board.

After the attack, the aircraft rapidly lost altitude. According to media reports, the plane descended about 14,000 feet (approximately 4,267 meters) in less than 30 seconds. The captain, having been stabbed multiple times, collapsed on the cockpit floor. During his call with Prime Minister Modi, Machar stated, "I knew the plane was crashing. If I didn't get up, people would die, so I had to do something."

Captain Smit Machar, who was seriously injured after being attacked by the first officer on the Flydubai passenger plane heading to Tel Aviv, Israel, revealed the situation at the time. Yonhap News Agency

He explained, "The door was close by, so I told myself, 'Smit, open that.' Somehow, with my last strength, I managed to open the door and people came inside." As the cockpit door opened, passengers and crew entered and subdued the first officer. Subsequently, two other Flydubai pilots on board took control and made an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.

Captain Machar recalled that he has been flying for 17 years and served as a captain for 11 years. He said, "I was hanging on for dear life," adding that he fought for his own survival while thinking he must also save the passengers. He also stated that in that moment of crisis, he recited the Hindu prayer 'Hanuman Chalisa', praying to the deity Hanuman, and added, "I know God saved me."

Captain Machar is known to have accumulated about 9,750 flight hours and has been with Flydubai since 2022. Previously, he worked for around 11 years at SpiceJet, a low-cost Indian airline, and operated aircraft including the Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 and 9.

The exact motive and background behind the incident are still under investigation. The UAE prosecution is leading the investigation, and it has been reported that Israeli investigators are also participating in the interrogation of the first officer, who is being questioned in Saudi Arabia. The UAE has classified the incident as a "dangerous and potentially catastrophic act of terrorism."

Meanwhile, during the investigation, it was revealed that the Omani first officer had previously been banned from flying in Oman due to concerns over his radical ideological tendencies.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.