'I Don't Want To Die Here' Inside Dentist's 45-Minute Battle To Save Flydubai Pilot

Israeli dentist Shota Musaev fought for nearly 45 minutes to keep severely wounded flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar alive after the captain was attacked inside the cockpit of flight FZ1073 last week.

Musaev, the only doctor on board, used T-shirts as makeshift pressure dressings and ice packs to control Machchhar’s bleeding as the aircraft was diverted to Saudi Arabia following the Omani co-pilot’s apparent attempt to hijack and crash the plane carrying more than 170 passengers.

Machchhar suffered a skull fracture and deep cuts to his hands and neck after first officer Hamam al-Hammami allegedly attacked him with an emergency crash axe inside the cockpit of the Tel Aviv-bound flight.

The Indian pilot, hailed as a “hero” by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is now making “steady progress” and “regaining his health” at a hospital in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Dentist Rushes To Cockpit After Hearing Screams

Musaev said he rushed towards the cockpit after hearing screams and initially helped restrain the suspect before turning his attention to the badly bleeding captain.

“I think, how (can) I help this situation for all (the passengers for all plane). How can I help?” Musaev said. “And I see one pilot on the floor, with...blood.”

Passenger Yaniv Hayun dragged the suspect out of the cockpit, took control of the aircraft and levelled it before a third pilot assumed control of the flight.

Musaev found that Machchhar was bleeding heavily from injuries to his head, neck and hands.

“There was heavy bleeding from his head and left hand,” he said.

Musaev initially used T-shirts to apply pressure to the wounds, but the bleeding continued. He then asked the cabin crew for ice.

“I asked the stewards for ice.”

“He had very, very deep cuts and we needed many ice packets. But every time I opened the T-shirt to check the bleeding, it would bleed more. So I pressed not very hard and with ice. All through the 45 minutes, I kept the pressure on,” Musaev said.

‘Please Don’t Sleep, We Need You’

As he worked to keep Machchhar conscious, Musaev repeatedly spoke to him about his family and reassured him that the aircraft would soon land.

“I told him, ‘Please don't sleep, we need you.’ I asked how many children he had, their names. I kept telling him, ‘Don't be afraid, you will go back to your family, we are landing soon,’” he said.

According to Musaev, Machchhar gave him his name and age, said he lived in Dubai and was from India, and pleaded for help with the pain.

“Everything will be good,” Musaev told him.

“He said to me, ‘Help me, please. Help me, please. I don't want to die here.’”

“He was cut badly and would say, ‘I'm feeling hot on my hands.’ I kept telling him that he would be OK,” Musaev said.

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Pilot’s Pulse Drops Dangerously Low

When Machchhar’s condition deteriorated, Musaev raised his feet in an attempt to improve his vital signs.

“At one time, his pulse was too low, so I put his feet up, and the pulse came back. When I saw his lips were blue, I told the steward, ‘We need to land quickly. He doesn't have much more time’,” he said.

Videos circulated on social media showed Machchhar asking for painkillers. Musaev said he instead gave him small sips of water and decided against administering pills because of the heavy bleeding.

“He was lying on his back, and I hesitated to lift him because I didn't want rebleeding. It was dangerous to move him or give him medicines. The stewards wanted to give him medicine, but I didn't agree.”

Musaev said he relied on Machchhar’s pulse, responsiveness and the colour of his lips to monitor his condition.

“If he talks, does not sleep, his pulse, the colour of his lips - these were the indicators I had,” he said.

For nearly 45 minutes after the attack, a small group of passengers also continued checking the aircraft for possible additional attackers until it landed in Saudi Arabia.

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‘Smit Saved Our Lives’

After the aircraft landed, Musaev handed Machchhar over to doctors on the ground.

“Good luck, my friend. Everything will be good,” he told the captain.

Musaev said Machchhar’s actions had saved those aboard the aircraft and described their survival as a case of returning the favour.

“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,” he said.

On Tuesday, the Indian Embassy in the UAE said Machchhar “continues to make steady progress and is regaining his health.”