Flydubai captain blocks axe blows from co-pilot during attempted crash
Captain Smit Machchhar of Flydubai described blocking axe attacks while trying to open the cockpit door on a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv last month.
Injury and immediate reaction
The captain said he thought the aircraft structure had failed when the first blow landed. He quickly freed himself from his seatbelts to defend against the strikes coming at his head. Machchhar reached for the door knob while screaming for help before losing consciousness.
Location and weapon details
Flight FZ1073 was flying over Saudi airspace when the co-pilot used a crash axe intended for emergencies. The attacker aimed to crash the plane into Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv. UAE authorities have classified the event as an attempted suicide attack.
All 2 outlets report consistently
No differences in figures, names or dates across these reports.
- The Guardian
- Dawn
Reported by
2 independent outlets. Headlines as published. Links open the original report.