Flydubai flight FZ1073: How Captain Machchhar’s quick thinking to open cockpit door helped save 174 lives
The cockpit door of Flydubai Flight FZ1073 was reportedly opened by the wounded Captain Smit Machchhar from the floor, allowing passengers to enter after he was allegedly stabbed by his co-pilot.Passengers are reported to have subdued the alleged attacker before a second set of pilots, who were due to take over the flight, ultimately landed the aircraft safely at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia.Jinit Shah, a urologist and neighbour of the pilot’s family in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar, said Smit is known for making quick decisions. “He has been training pilots and has an academy of his own, and that may be why he knows what to do in an emergency,” Shah said.“Because of muscle memory, he might have been able to handle the situation even after being stabbed and save 174 lives,” he said.The incident has also renewed attention on cockpit security and the access available to flight crew members. Before 9/11, flight deck doors were often as flimsy as lavatory doors. Following the attacks, cockpit doors were reinforced to create a significant barrier against anyone outside the flight deck attempting to enter.New aircraft in the US are also required to have a secondary physical barrier to protect the cockpit when the flight deck door is opened.If a flight crew member intends to commit a criminal act, they may already have the necessary access. However, the final layer of security ultimately relies on trusting those responsible for operating the aircraft.The flight departed Dubai at 6.05 am (local time) and was flying west towards its destination near Tel Aviv. About two hours after takeoff, the aircraft began losing altitude rapidly and turned sharply north, according to flight-tracking data. It descended 17,400 feet in just under two minutes.The flight issued a distress call at 8.31 am (local time), shortly before squawking code 7500, the International Civil Aviation Organization code used to indicate a hijacking. Passengers described chaotic scenes on board as the aircraft rapidly descended.The incident is being investigated as a possible attempted terrorist attack. The alleged attacker, an Omani national, has been taken into Saudi custody, while his motive remains unclear. Reports have cited a fellow pilot who described the man as displaying what he considered unusually strict religious behaviour.The reports have also raised questions over how the Omani national was cleared to operate a flight to Israel, given that Oman does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.Machchhar was hospitalised in stable condition, according to the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu credited the Indian captain with saving the lives of all 174 people on board.
