Tel Aviv: Dr Shota Musaev was travelling as an ordinary passenger on flydubai flight FZ1073 when screams from the cockpit changed the course of his journey. The Georgian dentist living in Israel rushed forward with other passengers after Indian Captain Smit Machchhar was attacked in the cockpit.
All through the 45 minutes, I kept the pressure on,” he said. Because i did not want rebleeding, “He was lying on his back, and I hesitated to lift him. ABC News reported that the captain was speaking, smiling and laughing after reaching hospital care.
And I see one pilot on the floor, with…blood,” he said. “There was heavy bleeding from his head and left hand,” Musaev told The National. He said the wounds were deep and required repeated use of ice packs. “I told him, ‘Please don’t sleep, we need you. I kept telling him, ‘Don’t be afraid, you will go back to your family, we are landing soon,’” he said. Machchhar told him his name and age and said he was from India and lived in Dubai. “He said to me, ‘Help me, please. Musaev said the captain’s condition deteriorated during the flight. “At one time, his pulse was too low, so I put his feet up, and the pulse came back,” he said. The dentist then told a steward that the aircraft needed to land soon. “When I saw his lips were blue, I told the steward, ‘We need to land quickly. He doesn’t have much more time,’” he said. Musaev said he gave him small amounts of water but did not agree to give him medication. The stewards wanted to give him medicine, but I didn’t agree,” he said. The dentist said he relied on the captain’s ability to speak, his pulse and the colour of his lips to assess his condition during those minutes. “If he talks, does not sleep, his pulse, the colour of his lips – these were the indicators I had,” he said. The dentist said he was thinking about the passengers throughout the emergency.
“I think, how (can) I help this situation for all (the passengers for all plane). How can I help? The dentist first tried to control the bleeding from the captain’s wounds. He used T-shirts as makeshift dressings and asked the cabin crew for ice. Every time he lifted the T-shirt to check the injury, the bleeding increased. “He had very, very deep cuts, and we needed many ice packets. But every time I opened the T-shirt to check the bleeding, it would bleed more. So I pressed not very hard and with ice. He also tried to keep Machchhar conscious. To do so, he kept talking to him, asking him about his family and children, while monitoring his condition. I asked how many children he had, their names. He also asked the dentist for help. Help me, please. I don’t want to die here,’” Musaev recalled. At one point, he noticed that his pulse had become very low. He also noticed that Machchhar’s lips had turned blue. The captain could also be heard asking for painkillers in videos that later circulated online. It was dangerous to move him or give him medicines. The aircraft eventually landed safely at Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where the Indian captain was handed over to medical teams. He was later transferred to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for further treatment. He later summed up his feelings about the captain, “Smit saved our lives. Smit is a hero and I thank him for everything he did to save my family and all the passengers. It is karma, he saved our lives, and we saved his life. The dentist handed Machchhar over to doctors after the emergency landing and gave him a brief farewell.
The doctor then spent about 45 minutes trying to keep the injured captain alive until the aircraft could land. He reportedly spent 45 minutes treating the pilot using T-shirts and ice packs, and constantly monitored Machchhar to keep him alive until the plane landed in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. All through the 45 minutes, I kept the pressure on,” Musaev said.
Musaev told ABC News that he saw Machchhar lying on the floor with blood around him after the attacker had been subdued. “At one time, his pulse was too low, so I put his feet up and the pulse came back,” Musaev said. He had suffered deep wounds to his head, neck and hands. The aircraft had also gone into a steep descent during the attack. Passengers managed to overpower the Omani co-pilot, Hamam al-Hammami, while others helped bring the aircraft under control. He had no medical kit suited to the injuries and had to use whatever was available on the plane. Musaev has credited the other passengers and crew members who helped bring the aircraft under control. Passenger Yaniv Hayun dragged the attacker away from the cockpit and helped stabilise the aircraft before a pilot took over. Other passengers helped restrain the suspect. But every time I opened the T-shirt to check the bleeding, it would bleed more. So I pressed not very hard and with ice.
Two standby pilots and a passenger entered the cockpit before the plane was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia. Earlier reporting noted: The Georgian doctor has been identified as Shota Masuev. Earlier reporting noted: “He had very, very deep cuts and we needed many ice packets. Earlier reporting noted: Machchhar’s condition later deteriorated, with his pulse dropping dangerously low.
The attack occurred on September 30 aboard FZ1073, a flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
The Indian Embassy in the UAE said on Tuesday (October 6) that the captain “continues to make steady progress and is regaining his health”. UAE authorities have described the incident as an “attempted terrorist attack”, while investigations into the co-pilot and the events surrounding the attack are underway. The captain has since received messages of support from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who have praised his actions during the attack.
Everything will be good,” he told him. The dentist repeatedly reassured him, “Everything will be good. “Good luck, my friend.
