Flydubai plane
Two pilots took control of a Flydubai aircraft after its co-pilot attacked Captain Smit Machchar, the captain. The plane was bound for Israel and carrying 182 people when it began descending rapidly.
Rapid descent after cockpit attack
The two pilots reached the cockpit and took control as the aircraft dropped. The descent was so rapid that part of the plane’s radar equipment broke off. An emergency message was also sent while the pilots worked to regain control.
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It took the pilots about 10 minutes or more to stabilise the aircraft. Their intervention helped avert a crash and save the lives of the 182 people aboard. The figures describe the people on the aircraft as a whole, rather than identifying a separate passenger count.
Key facts about the incident
- The Flydubai flight was carrying 182 people and was bound for Israel.
- The co-pilot attacked Captain Smit Machchar while the aircraft was in flight.
- Two pilots entered the cockpit, took control and worked to stabilise the plane.
- The aircraft descended rapidly, and part of its radar equipment broke off.
- The pilots needed about 10 minutes or more to stabilise the aircraft; an emergency message was sent.
The account identifies Captain Smit Machchar in connection with the attack, but says the two pilots who took over have not been publicly identified. It does not name them, so their individual roles cannot be established from the details available. The central sequence is clear: an attack in the cockpit was followed by a rapid descent, an emergency message and the pilots’ effort to regain control.
Control restored in the cockpit
The pilots’ actions came after the co-pilot attacked the captain, leaving the aircraft in a dangerous situation. They reached the cockpit, took control and worked to stop the rapid descent. The reported stabilisation time was about 10 minutes or more, and the damage to part of the radar equipment indicates how severe the descent was.
The flight’s destination was Israel, and the aircraft had 182 people aboard. The emergency message was sent during the incident, as the pilots worked to stabilise the plane. Flydubai is the airline named in the account; further background on the carrier is available through Flydubai’s Wikipedia page.
