flydubai Pilot Recounts Terrifying Mid-Air Cockpit Attack
flydubai pilot Smith Machar has broken his silence after being attacked by a co-pilot mid-flight, detailing the harrowing cockpit struggle and his survival in recent interviews.
Pilot Recounts Mid-Air Attack
Smith Machar, the flydubai pilot who was stabbed by Omani co-pilot Mamam al-Hamami, has broken his silence in interviews with The National and Sky News Arabia. Speaking from his hospital bed in Abu Dhabi, Machar described the terrifying moments when the co-pilot launched a sudden assault inside the cockpit.
Machar recalled that there were no warning signs before the flight, and their interactions were strictly routine. "It was a heavy blow that almost made me fall on the controls," he said, noting that his vision narrowed as the attacker rained blows on his head. Despite losing consciousness intermittently, Machar managed to reach the cockpit door and trigger its opening, allowing passengers and crew to intervene.
"I wasn't sure I'd make it out alive, but I didn't give up. I thought of my son, my daughter. It was like a survival instinct that was triggered," Machar stated.
The Struggle and Rescue
Describing the moments when the engines slowed and the aircraft’s nose began to dive, Machar emphasized that sheer willpower kept him focused. While international media previously highlighted a passenger dubbed the "plumber who saved the plane," Machar noted he was focused entirely on survival and ensuring the flight stayed in the air. The incident ultimately ended with another crew member taking the controls to stabilize the aircraft.
