NEW DELHI: Captain Smit Machchhar is “making steady progress” and “regaining his health” after being seriously injured in an attack by his co-pilot on a flydubai flight last week, the Indian Embassy in the UAE said on Tuesday.Machchhar was attacked by his co-pilot, an Omani national with a crash axe, an emergency tool typically kept in the cockpit during flydubai flight FZ1073 on Wednesday. The motive for the attack remains unclear.“Capt Smit continues to make steady progress and is regaining his health. The Embassy remains in close touch with his family, doctors & local authorities, extending all possible assistance,” the embassy said in a post on X.“We thank everyone for their prayers & wish him a speedy recovery,” it added.The flight, carrying 174 passengers, sent emergency signals after the attack and rapidly descended more than 17,000 feet from an altitude of 34,000 feet.Machchhar, who was lying injured on the cockpit floor, realised that the aircraft was descending and made “one last push” to open the cockpit door.
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He managed to activate the door release despite being seriously injured and covered in blood.Two reserve pilots then took control of the aircraft and landed it safely at Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The co-pilot was taken into custody, while Machchhar was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.Machchhar was initially admitted to a hospital in Tabuk before being airlifted to Abu Dhabi for further medical treatment, PTI reported.On October 1, India’s ambassador to the UAE, Deepak Mittal, had said Machchhar was “in good health and recovering well”. Mittal had also visited the injured captain and his family at the hospital.The investigation into the attack is ongoing, with the motive behind the co-pilot’s actions still unclear.
