Dubai: A newly surfaced video has captured the chaotic moments aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073 after Indian Captain Smit Machchhar was seriously injured during an alleged cockpit attack by his co-pilot, showing the pilot calling out for help as passengers rushed towards the front of the aircraft.
The footage, filmed from a passenger seat close to the cockpit and posted by Israeli news portal i24, appears to show the aftermath of Machchhar opening the cockpit door despite his injuries. His decision allowed passengers to enter the cockpit and restrain the co-pilot as the aircraft was experiencing a dangerous loss of altitude.
“Help me, help me,” Machchhar can be heard saying in the footage as passengers move towards the cockpit.
The Dubai-Tel Aviv flight was eventually diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. The UAE, Saudi Arabia and Israel are investigating the incident, while the motive behind the alleged attack remains under investigation.
New video captures chaos inside aircraft
The footage begins with passengers reacting to the emergency near the cockpit.
One person can be heard saying that the co-pilot had tried to crash the aircraft, while others shout for the attacker to be taken away. Another passenger tells people in the cabin to sit down as the situation unfolds.
A passenger wearing a blood-stained white T-shirt is seen near the cockpit. Israeli reports have identified the man as Yaniv Hayun, who was among the passengers who entered the cockpit and helped restrain the co-pilot.
Hayun later described how he helped pull the aircraft’s controls after entering the cockpit. His account is separate from the official investigation into the incident.
The footage also shows passengers urgently looking for medical assistance.
People near the cockpit can be heard asking whether there is a doctor on board. Israeli dentist Dr Shota Musaev then moved towards the front of the aircraft to help the injured captain.
According to an account attributed to Musaev, Machchhar was conscious but had lost a significant amount of blood and had deep injuries to his arms and neck.
Captain Machchhar had opened the cockpit door
The new footage provides a visual account of the critical moment after Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door.
Reuters reported that the captain was attacked by his Omani co-pilot during the flight and that the aircraft subsequently entered a steep descent. Despite being injured, Machchhar opened the cockpit, allowing passengers and crew members to intervene.
Machchhar later told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that opening the cockpit door was a decisive moment during the crisis. In a video call on Friday, he described how he made a final effort to reach and open the door while the aircraft was losing altitude.
The opening of the door allowed passengers to reach the cockpit and restrain the alleged attacker.
The aircraft had 174 people aboard, according to Reuters. It ultimately landed in Tabuk after the emergency.
‘He hit me so many times’
Another video recorded after the initial confrontation shows Machchhar lying on the floor with an oxygen mask.
The injured captain can be heard telling passengers that the co-pilot had hit him repeatedly. He then demonstrates that he can move his injured hand but cannot close it properly.
The footage gives a clearer indication of the severity of Machchhar’s injuries and the condition in which he remained after the cockpit confrontation.
The co-pilot, whose uniform was also covered in blood, can be seen nearby after passengers had restrained him.
Passengers can also be heard asking whether another pilot was available on the aircraft.
The search for additional pilots became critical because Machchhar was injured and the co-pilot had been subdued.
Off-duty pilots helped land the aircraft
Two off-duty Flydubai pilots were travelling as passengers on the flight and subsequently helped take control of the aircraft.
They assisted in bringing the Boeing 737 to Tabuk for an emergency landing after the cockpit confrontation. The aircraft had experienced a dramatic loss of altitude during the incident.
Associated Press reported that the aircraft’s altitude changed rapidly during the ordeal, with the plane falling from around 34,000 feet to about 16,600 feet within seconds before the situation stabilised.
Reuters separately reported that the aircraft plunged nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds during the incident. Different reports have cited slightly different altitude measurements, but the accounts agree that the aircraft experienced a rapid and dangerous descent.
After the emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, the pilots were transferred to the UAE under Emirati security arrangements.
Machchhar shifted to UAE for treatment
Machchhar, who is from Gujarat and previously worked with SpiceJet, was transferred to the UAE for further treatment after receiving medical attention in Saudi Arabia.
The Indian government said he was being monitored, while reports on October 2 said his condition was stable. The injured captain has since spoken publicly about the incident and also spoke with Prime Minister Modi.
During the conversation with Modi, Machchhar recounted how he managed to open the cockpit door despite his injuries. The Prime Minister praised his actions during the crisis.
The captain’s actions have also drawn praise from Israeli officials and passengers who were involved in controlling the situation.
Co-pilot’s motive remains under investigation
The alleged attacker was an Omani national and Flydubai co-pilot. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that the man had undergone what he described as “radical Islamist indoctrination” and was suicidal.
However, those characterisations remain claims made by Netanyahu rather than a final finding of the investigation. Reuters reported that Israeli security officials believed the co-pilot had acted alone, while investigations by the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Israel were continuing.
Saudi Arabia’s preliminary investigation confirmed that the co-pilot assaulted the captain before the aircraft was diverted, while the UAE has launched a broader investigation into the incident.
Authorities are examining the circumstances of the attack and whether there was any wider planning or external involvement.
Investigation continues after dramatic emergency
The new footage provides a closer look at the confusion inside FZ1073 after the cockpit confrontation, including Machchhar’s calls for assistance, passengers restraining the co-pilot and people searching for medical help and another pilot.
It also highlights how quickly the situation moved from a cockpit confrontation to a wider aviation emergency.
The aircraft’s rapid descent, the captain’s injuries and the intervention of passengers and off-duty pilots all became critical elements in bringing the flight safely to the ground.
The precise motive behind the co-pilot’s actions has not yet been conclusively established. Investigators in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Israel are continuing to examine the incident, while the newly released footage is providing additional context about what happened inside the aircraft.
For Machchhar, the immediate focus remains his recovery after sustaining serious injuries. For investigators, the priority is determining exactly what triggered the cockpit attack and whether anyone else was involved.