Flydubai captain recalls fending off co-pilot's axe attack

Summary

Flydubai captain Smit Machchhar described fending off his co-pilot's axe attack in the cockpit of an Israel-bound flight, saying he calmed himself by thinking, "You can't die like this." ABC also reports that Machchhar saved 170 passengers. This follows earlier reports that he recounted struggling to open the cockpit door and alert others after the attack.

Timeline

1. ABC

   19 Oct 2026, 02:42 UTCSource ↗

   ABC reports that Machchhar described fending off his co-pilot's axe attack in the cockpit of an Israel-bound flight, said he calmed himself during the attack, and saved 170 passengers.