When FlyDubai Flight 1073 departed Dubai for Tel Aviv, a terrifying incident unfolded in the cabin. An unidentified co‑pilot seized a knife and assaulted Captain Smit Machchhar, forcing the aircraft into a steep nose‑down dive. Passengers quickly responded, with Yaniv Hayun pulling the attacker from the cockpit and helping to level the plane before a third pilot assumed control and diverted the jet to Saudi Arabia.

Dental surgeon steps in as first responder

Among the passengers was Dr. Shota Musaev, an Israeli dentist who was traveling home to Tel Aviv. Musaev recalled rushing to the cockpit with a small group of travelers and finding the captain on the floor, bleeding from wounds to his head, neck and hands. “I thought, how can I help this situation for all the passengers,” he said in an interview from his home in Tel Aviv. “I saw the pilot on the floor with blood.”

After the suspect was restrained – Musaev and another passenger tied the attacker’s hands with headphones – the dentist turned his attention to the captain’s injuries. He applied direct pressure to the bleeding wounds, telling the pilot, “Everything will be good,” as the captain pleaded, “Help me, please. I don’t want to die here.”

Aftermath and medical care

The aircraft touched down safely in Saudi Arabia, where all passengers received medical attention. The ordeal lasted roughly forty minutes, according to Musaev. Captain Machchhar was initially treated at a Saudi hospital before being transferred to a facility in the United Arab Emirates, where he was reported to be speaking, smiling and laughing, bringing relief to his family.

The co‑pilot remains in custody in Abu Dhabi, according to Saudi officials. Musaev expressed gratitude for the collective effort that saved the flight and hopes to thank the captain personally one day.

Original reporting: Allentown News – 6abc Philadelphia — read the source article.