New Details

An Axe as a Weapon! Here’s How the Cockpit Attack Unfolded

The Indian pilot, Smit Machchhar, is said to have been attacked by his colleague with an axe.(Bild: AFP/-)

Further details are emerging about the brutal struggle in the cockpit during the attack aboard a Flydubai flight en route to Israel. The Indian pilot, Smit Machchhar, is said to have been attacked with an axe. The captain underwent surgery and is reportedly in stable condition.

Following Wednesday’s dramatic incident, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the pilot who was attacked had “prevented a disaster like September 11” (note: the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center in New York involving two airplanes).

He said, “He is a true hero,” because he “fought back, resisted, and opened the cockpit door despite serious injuries,” the prime minister stated on X. By doing so, he made it possible for “passengers and other crew members to subdue the attacker.” Netanyahu wished Machchhar “a speedy and full recovery.”

Pilot May Have Been Attacked with an Emergency Axe
In an interview on Fox News, Netanyahu further stated that he did not know the co-pilot’s exact background, “but he clearly hated Israelis.” According to the Prime Minister, the attacker may have attacked Machchhar with an axe. According to “Ynet,” initial investigations also suggest that this tool was the murder weapon.

An emergency axe is available in every passenger aircraft cockpit and is part of the safety equipment. In the event of an emergency, it can be used to break a window to escape or to break open a panel to gain access to a fire source.

One of the passengers who managed to subdue the attacker is being celebrated as a hero upon his arrival in Israel. Blood still stains his shirt.(Bild: AP/Tomer Appelbaum)

The pilot was lying on the floor, covered in blood, after the attack; once the plane landed, he was taken to a hospital in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, and had to undergo surgery. According to Indian authorities, he is reportedly in stable condition.

Machchhar grew up in Mumbai, India, and began his career as a pilot in 2011 with the Indian airline SpiceJet before moving to Flydubai. According to his LinkedIn profile, he has more than 9,750 flight hours, including more than 6,400 hours as a pilot in command, as reported by the BBC.

Machchhar talked about his job in a podcast
In a podcast last year, he explained that aviation had “never been a childhood dream.” He had actually started studying management because he wanted to work in the family business. But then he came across an aviation seminar and “it grabbed him,” he explained. He also described some challenges he faced during his career: For example, together with other crew members, he helped a passenger who had gone into premature labor deliver her baby.

Suspect Was Likely in the Cockpit Illegally
The suspect, a citizen of Oman, is currently in Saudi Arabian custody and is being interrogated there. His motive remains unclear. According to Israeli Transportation Minister Miriam Regev, the man should not have been allowed to work on a flight to Israel at all. An aviation agreement would prohibit the use of pilots from countries with which Israel does not maintain diplomatic relations. 

Brave passengers to receive awards
Those passengers who entered the cockpit after the attack to subdue the attacker are to receive an award for civilian heroism, reported Israeli President Isaac Herzog. He said he had spoken with the four men and expressed to them “his deep appreciation for their resourcefulness, courage, and mutual responsibility in moments of extreme danger.”