‘I didn’t wait, I ran’: Israeli dentist reveals how he saved wounded Flydubai captain during cockpit attack

Speaking to Ynet, Shota said he rushed towards the cockpit after realising that something was wrong and helped overpower and restrain the suspected attacker before turning his attention to the injured captain.

"I didn’t wait. I saw something was wrong and ran," Shota told Ynet.

‘The pilot was in very bad shape’

Shota, who said he was the only doctor aboard the aircraft carrying 174 people, said he treated Machchhar, who was suffering from severe injuries and bleeding.

"I managed to stop the bleeding, and the pilot was fairly stable until shortly before landing, when his condition deteriorated somewhat," he said.

According to Shota, he and three other passengers initially took control of the alleged attacker and managed to restrain him.

"The pilot was talking to us while he was lying there and told us he was 39 and had two children," Shota added.

Captain reportedly unlocked cockpit door

Shota also said another passenger, Yaniv, was the first to rush into action.

According to a report by The Jerusalem Post, passenger Yaniv Hayoun later told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Machchhar, despite being badly wounded, managed to unlock the cockpit door before losing consciousness.

That action allowed other crew members and passengers to enter the cockpit and help overpower the attacker. The Jerusalem Post reported that Machchhar also managed to communicate that the other pilot had stabbed him.

The aircraft reportedly underwent a dramatic descent during the confrontation before the crew and passengers helped regain control.

The exact circumstances and motive behind the cockpit attack remain under investigation, and officials have cautioned against drawing premature conclusions.

Machchhar’s aviation career

Machchhar, an Indian national, is an experienced commercial pilot who previously flew for SpiceJet before joining Flydubai.

Reports citing his professional profile say he has more than 13 years of commercial flying experience and thousands of hours of experience flying Boeing 737 aircraft.

He is currently recovering in a hospital in Tabuk and has reportedly been described as being in stable condition.

For India, the dramatic episode has put Captain Smit Machchhar in the spotlight for his actions during the emergency. Prime Minister Narendra Modi publicly praised him, saying, "India is proud of Captain Machchhar."