Flydubai pilot hit by co-pilot's axe receives UAE's Order of Zayed II

The attack in the cockpit

On 30 September, the co-pilot of Flydubai flight FZ1073 struck captain Smit Machchhar with an axe in the cockpit during the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The aircraft lost altitude and was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where a second crew member who was travelling on board landed it safely. Machchhar was wounded in the head during the attack, but he managed to open the cockpit door, and passengers and off-duty pilots then entered and overpowered the attacker, according to Der Tagesspiegel. Blesk reports that 172 passengers and crew survived, according to the reports available to it. Investigators said the co-pilot, who came from Oman, had planned to crash the aircraft at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv, and he was taken into custody after the landing.

Machchhar later told The National, a state daily according to Blesk, that at first he did not understand what was happening. When the blows continued, he realised that the person attacking him was meant to be part of the crew, and he tried to protect himself and free himself from his seatbelt before suffering the head injury. He also said that during a sudden steep descent he heard the engines slow down, but the experience did not deter him from flying.

Honours from the UAE

On Tuesday, 27 October, Machchhar and other crew members received the Order of Zayed II, first class, one of the highest state honours of the United Arab Emirates. Reports differ on who handed over the awards. Blesk says Crown Prince Hamdan bin Mohammed presented them, while Tgcom24 and Fanpage name President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as the person who conferred the order. Blesk also lists Dubai's ruler and UAE vice president Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum among those attending the ceremony.

Fanpage reports that the president examined the scar on the pilot's head and asked how long his arm would need to heal. When Machchhar answered two months, the president joked that he would teach him to fight once he recovered, and he addressed the crew and passengers as family, saying the UAE would be their country. The Dubai Media Office released a video of the ceremony showing Machchhar with his left arm in a sling and his left hand largely bandaged. Gulf News published a photo of him being embraced by the president, and Blesk reports that Crown Prince Hamdan visited the captain during his treatment and praised his courage and sense of responsibility on X.

Injuries and recovery

Tgcom24 describes metal staples left by surgery on his head, while Fanpage describes a deep scar covering nearly the entire back of his skull. Hospital photos from early October had shown him with a head bandage, according to N-tv. Der Tagesspiegel reports that the captain is now doing better than he was after the attack. Blesk reports that Machchhar is also due to receive an Israeli presidential award, although the report does not give further details on that honour. In a video call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Machchhar described fighting for his own life while knowing he could not let so many other people die.