DUBAI, Oct 6: Indian Captain Smit Machchhar is making steady progress and regaining his health following the alleged cockpit attack aboard a flydubai flight, the Indian Embassy in the UAE said on Monday.
Machchhar was seriously injured last Wednesday when his co-pilot, an Omani national, allegedly attacked him with a crash axe inside the cockpit of flydubai flight FZ1073. The motive behind the incident has not yet been established.
In a post on X, the Indian Embassy said Machchhar’s condition was improving and that it remained in close contact with his family, medical team and local authorities to provide all possible assistance.
The embassy also thanked people for their prayers and expressed its wishes for the captain’s speedy recovery.
The flight, carrying 174 passengers, was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the emergency unfolded. The aircraft sent emergency signals before rapidly descending by more than 17,000 feet from an altitude of 34,000 feet.
Despite being badly injured, Machchhar realised that the aircraft was losing altitude while he was on the cockpit floor. He then made a final effort to reach the cockpit door and activate its release.
Machchhar, who was reportedly covered in blood, succeeded in opening the door, allowing two reserve pilots to take control of the aircraft. They subsequently landed the plane safely at Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Following the landing, Saudi authorities took the co-pilot into custody, while Machchhar was transported to a hospital in Tabuk for emergency treatment.
He was later airlifted to Abu Dhabi for further medical care. It is understood that the captain was transferred to the UAE a day after being admitted to the hospital in northwest Saudi Arabia.
India’s Ambassador to the UAE, Deepak Mittal, had visited Machchhar and his family at the hospital earlier this month. On October 1, Mittal said the captain was in good health and recovering well.
The embassy’s latest update indicates that Machchhar’s recovery is continuing, with Indian officials maintaining contact with those overseeing his treatment.