Stories
Four Pilots on FlyDubai Flight 1073: A Fortuitous Coincidence Amidst Cockpit Attack
- •Four pilots were aboard FlyDubai Flight 1073 when a cockpit attack wounded the captain, an unusual circumstance that ultimately saved the aircraft and 182 people.
- •Only two pilots were operating the Boeing 737 Max 8; the other two were passengers when the co-pilot attacked Captain Smit Machchhar.
- •After passengers overpowered the attacker, the additional pilots took control and made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
- •The extra pilots were likely "deadheading" – traveling as passengers to be positioned for a subsequent flight – or were needed for the return journey due to duty limits.
- •Aviation experts suggest regional conflicts have made airline scheduling less predictable, potentially necessitating backup crews, though there was no indication of a specific security threat.
Key Questions Answered
The extra pilots were likely "deadheading," a common aviation practice where off-duty or repositioning crew members travel as passengers to work a subsequent flight. Alternatively, they may have been positioned to operate the return journey to Dubai to comply with strict pilot duty-time limits.
The co-pilot attacked Captain Smit Machchhar, leaving him badly wounded while the aircraft plunged toward the ground. Machchhar managed to unlock the cockpit door and send an emergency signal before passengers overpowered the attacker, allowing two additional pilots who were traveling in the cabin to take control and land safely in Saudi Arabia.
No, aviation security experts indicated there was no sign the pilots were placed aboard due to a specific security threat. Their delayed response to the cockpit attack—acting only after passengers had already intervened—suggests they were not anticipating the incident.
