Dr. Shota Musaev, an Israel-based dentist who was on flydubai Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, described his efforts to save Captain Smit Machchhar after the captain was attacked in the cockpit. During a 45-minute period following the incident, Musaev treated deep cuts and bleeding injuries using T-shirts and ice while attempting to keep Machchhar conscious. Passengers also restrained the co-pilot who had been involved in the attack, helping to ensure safety until the aircraft could land in Saudi Arabia for medical assistance.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-06,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
An Israel-based dentist who was among the passengers on flydubai Flight FZ1073 has recalled the frantic 45-minute effort to save Captain Smit Machchhar after he was attacked in the cockpit during the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight.
asserted
he → base → flight
Dr Shota Musaev to ABC News that he rushed towards the cockpit after hearing screams and found Machchhar seriously injured and bleeding.
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Machchhar → rush → screams
Musaev said Machchhar had deep cuts to his head and left hand.
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Machchhar → say → head
He used T-shirts to press against the wounds and asked cabin crew for ice.
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He → use → ice
“He had very, very deep cuts and we needed many ice packets,” Musaev told The National.
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Musaev → have → National
“But every time I opened the T-shirt to check the bleeding, it would bleed more.
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it → open → bleeding
So I pressed not very hard and with ice.
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I → press → ice
All through the 45 minutes I kept the pressure on.”
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I → keep → pressure
Musaev also tried to keep the injured captain conscious, telling him, "Please don't sleep, we need you," asking how many children he had and their names, and repeating, "Don't be afraid, you will go back to your family, we are landing soon."
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we → try → family
Machchhar told Musaev he wanted to live and complained of severe pain.
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he → tell → pain
I want to live.
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I → want → ?
I don't want to die here," he said.
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he → want → ?
At one point, Machchhar's pulse dropped sharply.
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pulse → drop → point
Musaev raised his feet and said his pulse recovered.
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pulse → raise → feet
When the captain's lips turned blue, Musaev told a steward, "We need to land quickly.
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We → turn → steward
He doesn't have much more time."
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He → have → time
He said he decided against giving Machchhar painkillers because of the heavy bleeding.
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he → say → bleeding
"He was lying on his back and I hesitated to lift him because I didn't want re-bleeding," Musaev said.
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Musaev → lie → him
"It was dangerous to move him or give him medicines."
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It → move → medicines
Passengers turned rescuers
Musaev was among the passengers who helped restrain the co-pilot after the attack, telling Ynet, "There were a few brave people there.
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who → turn → Ynet
We took control of the attacker and tied him up.
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We → take → him
Of course it was difficult, but we managed."
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we → manage → ?
The passengers used headphone cables to restrain his hands and legs as he continued struggling.
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he → use → hands
"I came to fight the attacker when I heard the screams.
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I → come → screams
I didn't come to provide medical treatment, but after we tied him up, I treated the stabbed pilot," Musaev said.
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Musaev → come → pilot
Two standby pilots then entered the cockpit with a passenger to help steady the aircraft, while other passengers remained alert in case there were further threats.
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passengers → enter → case
"We were at the plane exit, in front of the cockpit, and every time we scanned the area, we were worried there may be more terrorists on the plane," Musaev said.
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Musaev → scan → plane
A group of passengers continued watching the cabin until the aircraft landed in Saudi Arabia.
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aircraft → continue → Arabia
Passengers initially feared the aircraft was crashing after it rapidly lost altitude.
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it → fear → altitude
"We thought we were going to die, 100%," Musaev told Ynet.
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Musaev → think → Ynet
"The plane lost an insane amount of altitude in half a minute."
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plane → lose → minute
He added, "We saw the pilots and started screaming, 'Bring the pilots.'
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We → add → pilots
Then when one of them went into the cockpit and took control, we understood that we had survived."
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we → go → control
The aircraft diverted to Tabuk, where Machchhar was handed over to doctors.
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Machchhar → divert → doctors
Musaev later learnt that the captain had survived and was out of danger, recalling that he told Machchhar, "Good luck my friend.
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he → learn → luck
He added, "Smit saved our lives.
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Smit → add → lives
Smit is a hero and I thank him for everything he did to save my family, all the passengers," before calling it karma: "He saved our lives and we saved his life."
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we → thank → life
What happened on FZ1073
Flight FZ1073 was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30 with 174 passengers and crew on board when the co-pilot allegedly attacked Machchhar with a crash axe.
uncertain
pilot → happen → axe
UAE attorney general Hamad Al Shamsi has described the incident as an “attempted terrorist attack”.
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Shamsi → describe → attack
Authorities said the co-pilot tried to take control of the aircraft after attacking the captain.
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pilot → say → captain
…and 3 more, not listed.
The Aporia
