Stories
Captain Smit Machchhar Eager To Return To Skies After Brutal Cockpit Attack
- •Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar is eager to return to flying despite suffering severe head injuries and a skull fracture in a cockpit attack aboard Flydubai flight FZ 1073.
- •The attack was allegedly carried out by his Omani co-pilot, Hamam al-Hammami, who struck him with an axe during the flight on September 30.
- •Machchhar told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the initial blows severely blurred his vision and fragmented his memory of the incident.
- •Currently recovering at a specialized facility in Abu Dhabi, Machchhar is receiving neurological assessments and pain management while showing steady signs of improvement.
- •Despite his ongoing ordeal involving intense headaches and blurred vision, his medical team and family have praised his remarkably positive morale and determination to fly again.
Key Questions Answered
Captain Smit Machchhar suffered grievous head and limb injuries after his co-pilot struck him with an axe in the cockpit on September 30. Medical details revealed that the blows caused a skull fracture and neurological injury, which temporarily affected his vision and memory.
Captain Machchhar is currently undergoing treatment and observation at a specialised facility in Abu Dhabi, where his family has expressed satisfaction with the medical care. He is receiving heavy sedatives and pain medication while doctors assess his neurological condition and work to fully restore his vision.
During a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Captain Machchhar explained that the initial axe blows reduced his vision to a completely blurred state and that his memory remains in bits and pieces. Despite the severe trauma, he expressed a strong desire to return to flying as soon as possible.
