45 Minutes, T-Shirts And Ice: How A Dentist Helped Save Flydubai Pilot Smit Machchhar

Captain Smit Machchhar suffered severe bleeding to his head and hand following the mid-air attack by the co-pilot on the Tel Aviv-bound flydubai flight, surviving only through the relentless, 45-minute intervention of an Israeli dentist on board.

Shuta Musaev, a Georgian dentist living in Israel, used makeshift pressure dressings and ice packs to stabilise Machchhar, whose pulse had dropped dangerously low.

This is what Musaev told ABC News while recounting the mid-air medical crisis after co-pilot Omani national Hamam al-Hammami stabbed Machchhar in an apparent attempt to crash the aircraft with over 170 passengers.

Dentist Rushes To Save Injured Pilot

Machchhar, who has been hailed as a "hero" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is making "steady progress" and is "regaining his health" at a hospital in the United Arab Emirates.

On the fateful day, Machchhar was lying injured on the cockpit floor when he realised the plane was descending and decided to make “one last push” to open the cockpit door.

Musaev said he rushed forward after hearing screams, helped restrain the attacker and then treated the badly bleeding captain.

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

Another passenger, Yaniv Hayun, dragged the suspect from the cockpit, took control of the plane and levelled it before a third pilot took control of the flight.

Once the attacker was overpowered, Musaev said he quickly turned his attention to the pilot, who was bleeding from wounds to his head, neck and hands.

Musaev said he began applying pressure to the wounds to stop the bleeding. Speaking to The National from Holon, a city south of Tel Aviv, the dentist said, "There was heavy bleeding from his head and left hand."

Musaev said he used T-shirts to press the wounds, but the bleeding didn’t stop. "I asked the stewards for ice," he said.

"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.

"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 added.

Flight Lands Safely After Mid-Air Attack

As Machchhar lay injured in the cockpit, Musaev tried to keep him conscious while monitoring his condition. The pilot told him he was from India and asked for help, according to the dentist’s account.

Musaev said Machchhar had suffered deep cuts and was losing a significant amount of blood. He used clothing as makeshift dressings and applied ice while continuing to speak to the pilot and reassure him.

At one point, Machchhar’s pulse weakened and his lips began turning blue. Musaev said he raised the pilot’s legs and urged the crew to land as quickly as possible, fearing his condition was deteriorating.

He avoided giving Machchhar medication because of the extent of his injuries and the risk of further bleeding. Instead, he continued watching his pulse, speech and other visible signs of his condition until the aircraft landed in Saudi Arabia.

Musaev then handed Machchhar over to medical teams waiting on the ground. Recalling the ordeal later, he said the experience left both him and his wife dealing with trauma after the flight.

Musaev also credited Machchhar with helping save the passengers during the attack, saying the pilot’s actions had given them a chance to survive the incident.

The Indian Embassy in the UAE said on Tuesday that Machchhar was making steady progress and recovering from his injuries.