'I don't want to die please': Capt. Smit Machchhar begged Israeli dentist for help after flydubai co-pilot stabbed him; dentist talked about captain's children to keep him awake

Captain Smit Machchhar lay bleeding on the cockpit floor of a flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv, pleading with a stranger for his life after his own co-pilot turned on him mid-air. "I don't want to die please," the captain reportedly told Dr Shuta Musaev, a Georgian dentist on board who became the only person with any medical training available to help him.

Musaev spent the next 45 minutes pressing down on wounds to the captain's head, neck and hand, refusing to let him close his eyes even for a moment. The flight was carrying more than 170 passengers when co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami, an Omani national, allegedly attacked Machchhar in what investigators believe was an attempt to crash the aircraft.

What Happened Inside The Cockpit


Machchhar was already badly injured and lying on the cockpit floor when he realised the plane had begun descending rapidly. Even in that condition, he managed what he later described as "one last push" to force the cockpit door open, giving passengers a chance to intervene.

One traveller, Yaniv Hayun, pulled the attacking co-pilot out of the cockpit and briefly took control of the aircraft himself, levelling it out before a third pilot stepped in to fly the plane. A small group of passengers then kept checking the cabin for any further threats as the flight made its way toward an emergency landing.

What Did The Dentist Say About Treating Him

Musaev told ABC News and The National that he rushed forward the moment he heard screaming and blood. "I think, how can I help this situation for all the passengers, for all plane. How I can help," he recalled thinking as he saw the captain down on the floor.

With no medical kit built for trauma wounds, Musaev improvised. He asked flight attendants for T-shirts to press against the bleeding and repeatedly called for more ice packs as the cuts kept reopening every time he checked them. "There was heavy bleeding from his head and left hand," he said, describing how he pressed gently but steadily through the entire ordeal rather than risk making the wounds worse.

How Was The Captain Kept Conscious

To stop the captain from losing consciousness, Musaev began asking him personal questions, including how many children he had and their names. He kept repeating reassurances through the 45 minutes, telling him he would be landing soon and would see his family again.

Machchhar told Musaev he lived in Dubai and was originally from India. Videos later circulated on social media showing him asking for painkillers, though Musaev chose not to give him any medication, fearing it could worsen the bleeding or mask warning signs he needed to track.

What Happened When His Pulse Dropped

At one stage during the flight, the captain's pulse fell dangerously low and his lips turned blue. Musaev responded by lifting his feet, a move that helped bring the pulse back up. He then warned the crew the plane needed to land quickly, telling them Machchhar did not have much time left.

Throughout, Musaev relied on simple signs to judge how the captain was holding up, whether he was still talking, staying awake, and how his pulse and lip colour looked, since there was no proper monitoring equipment on hand.

What Happened After The Plane Landed

The flight eventually landed safely in Saudi Arabia, where Musaev handed Machchhar over to doctors on the ground with a short farewell, telling him "good luck, my friend, everything will be good." The captain was later moved to a hospital in the UAE for further treatment.

The Indian Embassy in the UAE confirmed this week that Machchhar continues to make steady progress and is regaining his health. Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have publicly called him a hero for his role in preventing the attack from bringing down the aircraft.

How Has The Dentist Been Coping Since

Musaev said he and his wife suffered post-traumatic stress in the days following the attack. Reflecting on what happened, he credited the captain with saving the lives of everyone on board by fighting to open the cockpit door. "Smit saved our lives. Smit is a hero and I thank him for everything he did to save my family and all the passengers. It's karma, he saved our lives, and we saved his life," Musaev said.

Inputs from PTI