‘Co-pilot got up to pray, then.’: Indian pilot Machchhar reveals new details of flydubai cockpit attack to Netanyahu

The latest account provides a closer look at the critical moments inside the cockpit — from the co-pilot's request to pray to the sudden attack.

Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar has revealed a new and chilling detail about the flydubai cockpit attack, telling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that his co-pilot asked for time to pray before allegedly launching the assault.

Smit Machchhar said he turned away out of respect while the co-pilot prayed. Around four to five minutes later, he felt a heavy blow to the back of his head.

The captain's account emerged during a phone conversation with Netanyahu on Saturday (October 4), as Machchhar continued to recover in an Abu Dhabi hospital.

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Captain Smit Machchhar revealed that his co-pilot asked for time to pray before launching an attack on him in the cockpit, which he initially mistook for catastrophic damage to the aircraft.

Despite being attacked, Machchhar fought back to open the cockpit door, allowing crew members and passengers to intervene and help stabilize the aircraft during the emergency.

The co-pilot has been identified as Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national previously grounded over concerns regarding extremist views, and he has been arrested and described by authorities as attempting a terrorist act.

Netanyahu referred to Machchhar as a hero because of his courageous actions during the cockpit attack, which helped save numerous lives on board the flight.

The aircraft rapidly lost more than 17,000 feet in altitude, transmitting emergency signals before safely landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after the intervention of crew and passengers.

Machchhar told Netanyahu that his first reaction to the blow was that something catastrophic had happened to the aircraft.

“My first thought was that there was catastrophic damage to the aircraft and something is not right,” he said.

But the blows continued.

“That’s when I realised that it’s not the aircraft, it’s the other guy who was in the cockpit with me,” Machchhar said.

He said his memory was not completely clear because of his injuries, but he recalled trying to open the cockpit door while under attack.

“I had that one last fight left in me,” he said, explaining that he believed he would die if he failed to get the door open.

“That’s when I pushed against everything. I gave everything that I had and just went for the door and opened the door, and thankfully people were waiting,” he said.

Attack triggered dramatic descent

The incident occurred aboard flydubai flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 174 people on board.

UAE authorities have said the co-pilot attempted to carry out a “terrorist act”, attacking Machchhar with the aircraft's emergency axe and trying to take control of the plane.

As the struggle unfolded, the aircraft went into a rapid descent. Flight-tracking data showed the plane losing more than 17,000 feet of altitude before the situation was brought under control.

Machchhar's opening of the cockpit door allowed passengers and crew to intervene. Other crew members then helped stabilise the aircraft before it made an emergency landing at Tabuk in Saudi Arabia.

Netanyahu calls Indian pilot a ‘true hero’

Netanyahu praised Machchhar during the call and said his actions had saved numerous lives.

“You are a true hero of the brave peoples of India and Israel and you are a hero of the entire world,” Netanyahu told him.

The Israeli prime minister also invited Machchhar to Israel as a guest of honour.

Netanyahu said he wanted Machchhar and Prime Minister Narendra Narendra Modi to light a flame at Israel's national Independence Day ceremony next May — an honour generally reserved for Israeli citizens.

What happened to the co-pilot?

The co-pilot is in custody in the UAE. UAE investigators have described the incident as an attempted terrorist act, but a final motive has not been established.

The suspect has been identified by multiple media outlets as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami. Reports citing people familiar with the matter have alleged that Omani authorities had previously barred him from flying amid concerns over extremist views. Those claims remain part of the broader investigation and should be distinguished from the UAE's confirmed preliminary findings.

Netanyahu has also alleged that the suspect had undergone radical Islamist indoctrination and attempted to crash the aircraft. Investigators are continuing to examine his background, motives and whether anyone else was involved.

(With AP, AFP inputs)

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