The Israel-based dentist who helped save the life of flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar said he rushed forward after hearing screams in the cockpit. But, at the time of treating the badly injured pilot, he feared time was running out. Speaking to The National, Dr Shota Musaev said Machchhar had deep cuts to his head and left hand. He used T-shirts to control the blood from his wounds and according to him, it’s becoming impossible to control the blood. “I used T-shirts to press against wounds to stop blood and asked cabin crew for ice,” the doctor said.
“He had very, very deep cuts and we needed many ice packets,” he told National. “But every time I opened the T-shirt to check the bleeding, it would bleed more. So I pressed not very hard and with ice. All through the 45 minutes I kept the pressure on,” he added.
At the time of treating, Machchhar repeatedly told the doctor,”I want to live, don’t want to die here.” The doctor assured the flydubai Captain, saying, “Don’t be afraid, you will go back to your family, we are landing soon.” The doctor also decided against giving painkillers to Machchhar though he was screaming in pain. “He was lying on his back and I hesitated to lift him because I did not want re-bleeding. It was dangerous to give him medicines,” Musaev said.
At one point, Machchhar’s pulse dropped sharply and his lips turned blue. “We need to land quickly. He doesn’t have much more time,” Musaev told a steward.
Captain making ‘steady progress’: Indian Embassy
Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in the UAE said that Machchhar is making “steady progress” and is “regaining his health”. “Capt Smit continues to make steady progress and is regaining his health. The Embassy remains in close touch with his family, doctors & local authorities, extending all possible assistance,” the embassy posted on X. “We thank everyone for their prayers & wish him a speedy recovery,” it added.
It is understood that Machchhar was shifted to the UAE a day after he was admitted to a hospital in Tabuk city in northwest Saudi Arabia to receive necessary medical attention. Machchhar was covered with blood on the floor when he managed to click open the release on the cockpit door.
What happened on flydubai flight FZ1073?
The flight, carrying 174 passengers, transmitted emergency signals and made a rapid descent of more than 17,000 feet from 34,000 feet. The captain was lying injured on the cockpit floor when he realised the plane was descending and decided to make “one last push” to open the cockpit door. An Omani citizen, Hamam al-Hammami, has been identified as the flydubai co-pilot who attacked Machchhar and allegedly attempted to take control of the flight, according to reports published by multiple news outlets, including the Wall Street Journal and CNN.
Al-Hammami was previously barred from flying in Oman over concerns about his radical ideological views, the reports said, quoting people familiar with the matter. He attacked Machchhar with a crash axe, typically kept in the cockpit for use in emergencies, seriously injuring him. The motive for the attack remains unclear. Two reserve pilots landed the aircraft safely at Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Airport in Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk city, where the co-pilot was taken into custody and Machchhar was taken to a nearby hospital before being airlifted to Abu Dhabi.
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