'Was Conscious, Communicating': flydubai Passenger Recalls Saving Indian Pilot

An Israeli passenger aboard the Dubai-Tel Aviv flydubai flight has described the terrifying moments when passengers rushed to the cockpit after the co-pilot attacked the Indian pilot and tried to bring down the aircraft.

Speaking to NDTV, Zvika Manes, who is the CEO of Bank Leumi's underwriting company, said he and others managed to restrain the co-pilot using cables from the multimedia headphones handed out during the flight.

He was travelling in business class in the first row with his wife and their six-year-old daughter, placing them close to the cockpit.

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Banker Tzvika Manes, who was with his 3 young daughters, stormed the cockpit, helps foil suspected attack mid-flight

Manes narrates how he and other passengers took down the copilot. @ShivAroor pic.twitter.com/Ke9h9p47rm

— NDTV (@ndtv) October 1, 2026

His wife had accompanied their daughter to the toilet when she heard what sounded like a violent struggle inside the cockpit.

"My wife heard shouting from the cockpit, fighting, noises", he said.

A while later, the aircraft began making a dramatic descent, he recalled.

He said that the Indian pilot, Captain Smit Machchhar, eventually managed to open the cockpit door despite being seriously injured. That gave the passengers and crew a chance to intervene.

Manes said another Israeli passenger and a reserve pilot moved in first and pulled the attacker out of the cockpit after which he along with another passenger called the doctor to try to stabilise Machchhar.

"He was talking to us. He was conscious. He was communicating. And we heard that he's stabilised", he said.

The injured captain was given oxygen while those around him tried to keep him focused.

"He was bleeding. The doctor and the guys and the crew members were helping him, giving him oxygen, talking to him to stay focused. He asked them if he's okay", he said.

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Manes said he believed the incident was an attempted terror attack rather than a fight between two pilots. He said the co-pilot had used a knife against Machchhar and was allegedly trying to bring the aircraft down.

"He was stabbing him with a knife, trying to collapse the aircraft like 9-11 style. So this is definitely a terror attack", he claimed.

He added, "I'm sure that the investigation will show that this is a terror attack. It's not a fight between the co-pilot and the captain. This is ridiculous."

He also praised Machchhar for managing to open the cockpit door despite his injuries. Calling Machchhar a hero, Manes said, "And in Israel he is definitely a hero."