Smit Machchhar’s ‘Lucky To Have a Doctor’ Warning Resurfaces After Flydubai Pilot Is Stabbed Mid-Flight

Months before Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar was seriously injured in a cockpit attack, he warned that passengers could be lucky to have a doctor on board during a mid-air emergency. His comments from a podcast have now resurfaced after an Israeli dentist treated him aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073 on September 30, turning the pilot’s old words into an unexpected part of the story.

The flight was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 174 people on board when Machchhar was stabbed by his co-pilot, according to the reports provided. Despite his injuries, the captain managed to release the cockpit door, allowing passengers to enter and help restrain the co-pilot.

Dr Shota Musayev, an Israeli dentist traveling as a passenger, helped treat the injured pilot before the aircraft made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. All 174 people survived.

The resurfaced interview is drawing attention because Machchhar had spoken about the importance of cabin crew training and the possibility of needing medical help in the air. During the emergency, a doctor happened to be among the passengers and was able to provide treatment while the aircraft was still in flight.

What Machchhar said about emergencies in the air

In a conversation on the Bona-Fide Banter podcast last year, Machchhar explained that cabin crew members receive training to respond to safety and medical emergencies.

“The crew – those people go through some rigorous training,” Machchhar said during the podcast. “They have to get trained for safety procedures, emergency procedures, and first aid.”

He then asked a question about what happens when someone needs help while flying.

“When we are up there, and something happens, who is going to save you?” he said. “You’ll be lucky enough to have a doctor on board. If not, the crew is trained… they can save your life.”

The clip began circulating again online after the September 30 incident. His comments were originally about the role of trained cabin crew, but the events aboard FZ1073 gave them a different meaning.

How a passenger doctor helped the injured pilot

Musayev later described hearing screams and running towards the cockpit. He found Machchhar badly injured and bleeding, according to the account published by The Times of Israel.

“I was the only doctor on the plane, and eventually I managed to stop the bleeding and stabilize his blood pressure,” Musayev told the newspaper.

He also described the incident as a frightening experience and credited other passengers who helped during the emergency.

“These were very hard moments, but together with a few brave people on the plane, we managed to avert a situation that was very close to a disaster,” he said.

Reports say passengers helped overpower the co-pilot after Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door. A second team of Flydubai pilots who were traveling as passengers then took over and helped bring the aircraft to safety.

The reports do not establish the full sequence of every action inside the cockpit. Authorities are investigating the attack and the co-pilot’s actions, while the motive has not yet been established.