The captain of the flydubai Boeing 737 MAX 8 targeted in an attempted terrorist attack last month has described how he fought off blows from an emergency axe and managed to call for help as the aircraft entered a steep descent.
Captain Smit Machchhar was flying FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30 when the first officer attacked him inside the cockpit. Machchhar told Reuters that the first blow to the back of his head initially made him think something had gone seriously wrong with the aircraft before he realized he was being attacked.
The captain said he released his seat belts and used his left arm to block further blows aimed at his head. His hand then reached the control used to open the cockpit door as he screamed for help. Machchhar said he lost consciousness during the attack but recalled hearing the door open and a struggle inside the flight deck.
The Boeing 737 MAX 8 descended about 16,000 feet (4,900 meters) in roughly 30 seconds during the incident. Machchhar said seeing the aircraft's nose pointing steeply downward was the most frightening moment of the attack.
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A flydubai pilot who was traveling aboard the aircraft and was assigned to operate the return flight noticed the cockpit door repeatedly opening and closing and entered using the access code, according to the United Arab Emirates Public Prosecution. He intervened with a cabin crew member and passengers, who restrained the first officer and removed the injured captain from the cockpit.
Two pilots traveling aboard then regained control of the aircraft and diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where the 737 landed safely. More than 170 passengers and crew were aboard FZ1073.
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UAE investigators said on October 9 that the 29-year-old Omani first officer had planned to seize the aircraft and crash it into the passenger terminal at Ben Gurion Airport. Authorities said he had previously operated two flights to Tel Aviv to study the route and airport before attempting the attack on his third trip.
Machchhar remains under medical care in Abu Dhabi. A forensic examination found that his injuries were concentrated on his head and were consistent with blows from the emergency axe kept aboard the aircraft.
