"He stood up and began to pray": Flydubai flight captain reveals the first moments

In an exclusive interview from his hospital bed, Flydubai flight captain Smit Bhopander Machhar revealed that the co-pilot stood up and began to pray, after which he received a strong blow to the back of his head. He lost consciousness and regained it frequently. Two pilots among the passengers helped regain control after a loss of altitude, and the plane landed safely in Saudi Arabia.

In an exclusive interview from his hospital bed, Flydubai flight captain Smit Bhopander Machhar, whose flight was headed to Ben Gurion Airport, revealed the first moments of the attack in the cockpit. According to him, the co-pilot asked to pray, stood up and began praying, and the captain tried not to look at him out of respect. While sitting in his seat and performing his duties, he suddenly received a strong blow to the back of his head. He described the impact as 'quite strong' and 'very powerful,' and noted that later he lost consciousness and regained it frequently. Two qualified pilots among the passengers helped regain control of the plane after it rapidly lost thousands of meters of altitude. The plane was diverted to Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia and landed safely. All 172 passengers and eight crew members survived. The full interview will be broadcast on Sky News Arabia at 22:00.