The pilot of a Flydubai plane, Simet Machar, recounted the details of being attacked by his co-pilot using an emergency axe inside the cockpit, during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
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In an interview with The National newspaper, published on Saturday, from his hospital bed in Abu Dhabi, Machar, whose head and left arm were bandaged, said he initially thought the plane had suffered a serious malfunction, before realizing he was under attack and the situation had become extremely dangerous.
He explained that he tried to free himself from the seat belts and deflect the blows with his arm, before reaching towards the cockpit door handle and shouting for help, noting that the successive blows to his head caused him to lose consciousness.
Flight FZ1073 was flying in Saudi airspace when the co-pilot attacked the captain with an emergency axe, which is usually kept in the cockpit for use in emergencies. According to the report, the incident caused the aircraft to descend approximately 4,900 meters in 30 seconds before the crew regained control.
Two other pilots who were on board took over the controls and managed to land the plane safely in Saudi Arabia, while the suspect, an Omani citizen, was transferred to the UAE, where Flydubai is headquartered.
The UAE Public Prosecution stated that initial investigations uncovered a plot to hijack an aircraft and use it to carry out a suicide attack on the passenger terminal at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. It added that the suspect was inspired by the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, according to the findings of the criminal investigation that began on October 1.
Machar said that what frightened him most during the incident was the steep drop in the nose of the plane, adding that he was not sure he would survive, but he did not give up despite the dangerous situation.
His testimony highlights the harrowing moments experienced by the flight crew, and the efforts made to regain control of the aircraft and ensure its safe landing, amid circumstances that remain linked to the results of official investigations.