Flydubai Hero Pilot Smit Machchhar Suffered Fractured Skull, Underwent Emergency Surgery in Saudi

The full cost of Captain Smit Machchhar’s heroism aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073 is only now becoming clear. The 38-year-old Indian pilot suffered a depressed fracture of the skull when his co-pilot attacked him with a cockpit crash axe mid-flight, and underwent emergency cranial reconstruction surgery in Saudi Arabia before being airlifted to the UAE, sources told NDTV.

Machchhar’s injuries were far more serious than was initially known in the chaotic aftermath of the September 30 attack. According to sources cited by NDTV, the pilot sustained a “depressed fracture — fragment of skull” when co-pilot Hammam Al-Hammami struck him inside the cockpit of the Dubai–Tel Aviv flight, which was carrying 174 passengers and crew.

A depressed skull fracture is a serious injury in which a broken piece of the skull is pushed inward toward the brain. Because the displaced bone can press on or damage brain tissue, the injury typically demands urgent surgical care — care that Machchhar received after the aircraft made an emergency landing at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Doctors there reconstructed his skull, sources told NDTV, before he was flown to the United Arab Emirates for advanced treatment.

The Times of India reported that an emergency surgery was performed in Saudi Arabia before Captain Machchhar could be flown back to the UAE for further treatment.

“Responding well” — and now walking again

The latest updates on Machchhar’s condition are encouraging. After the emergency surgery, he was admitted to the Military Hospital in Abu Dhabi, where a team of specialist doctors has been monitoring him closely. Sources told NDTV the pilot is “responding well” to treatment, and authorities have allowed his family to meet him at the hospital, with regular health updates being communicated to them.

On Tuesday, the Indian embassy in the UAE posted that Capt Smit “continues to make steady progress and is regaining his health,” adding that the embassy remains in close touch with his family, doctors and local authorities.

And in the most heartening development yet, a family member told NDTV that Machchhar has now been moved to a hospital in Dubai from Abu Dhabi — and walked 10 steps yesterday, an early but significant milestone in recovery from a traumatic brain injury.

The fight inside the cockpit

The injury details add a new dimension to an already extraordinary story. On September 30, Machchhar was the main pilot of FZ1073, a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Roughly two and a half hours into the journey, after his co-pilot had stepped behind him to pray, Machchhar was struck by repeated blows to the back of the head, according to NDTV’s reporting — blows that blurred his vision.

Bleeding heavily and in excruciating pain, the 38-year-old fought through it long enough to unlock the cockpit door from inside. Cabin crew and passengers rushed in, overpowered the co-pilot — who NDTV reports was widely identified as Omani national Hammam Al-Hammami — and two pilots travelling as passengers took over the controls. The aircraft, which had sent an emergency signal before switching its transponder to squawk 7500, the code for hijacking, landed at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia.

In addition to the head injury, Machchhar suffered wounds to his limbs, chest and upper abdominal area, sources told NDTV. Despite it all, he never stopped thinking about the people behind him. Speaking to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over a video call last week, he recalled: “I was lying on the floor injured, but I told myself to go for one last push to open the door from inside.” He added that while he was fighting for his own life, “at the same time I knew I was not going to let others die.”

The UAE’s attorney-general has since formally ruled the cockpit attack an attempted terrorist act — a development this site covered on October 4 in its follow-up report on the UAE ruling.

Praise from leaders around the world

Machchhar’s actions have drawn praise from world leaders. Prime Minister Modi, who spoke to him over video call, said the captain had shown “immense courage and unwavering resolve” in protecting the lives of others despite being seriously injured. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described him as “unbelievably courageous.” Dubai’s crown prince, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, visited the captain at the hospital.

What is a depressed skull fracture?

A depressed skull fracture happens when the skull breaks and a fragment of bone is pressed inward toward the brain, sitting lower than the surrounding bone, according to medical sources cited in the reporting. Dr (Air Cmde) Krishan Kumar Yadav, a senior neurosurgeon at Marengo Asia Hospitals, told the Times of India that surgeons in such cases make a careful incision, lift or remove the pressed-in fragment, check the membrane protecting the brain for tears, clean and repair the area, then replace or reconstruct the bone — delicate work, he said, that many patients recover well from.

Recovery from such an injury takes time and can involve periods of fatigue, headaches and difficulty concentrating, he added. For Machchhar, 10 steps in a Dubai hospital corridor are the first steps on that road.

Sources

NDTV — “flydubai Hero Pilot Smit Machchhar’s Skull Fractured In Attack, Underwent Emergency Surgery In Saudi” (link) · NDTV — “Flydubai: Captain Smit Machchhar Walked 10 Steps In Hospital, Recovering Well: Family” (link) · Times of India — “Flydubai flight incident: Cockpit attack left Captain Smit Machchhar with ‘depressed skull fracture'” (link) · Indian Embassy in the UAE (X, Tuesday)

FAQ

What happened to Captain Smit Machchhar?
The Flydubai FZ1073 captain suffered a depressed skull fracture when his co-pilot attacked him with a cockpit crash axe on September 30. He underwent emergency cranial reconstruction surgery in Saudi Arabia and is now recovering in the UAE.

What is a depressed skull fracture?
It is a serious head injury in which a broken fragment of the skull is pushed inward toward the brain. It often requires surgery to lift or remove the fragment and repair the protective membrane around the brain.

Where is Machchhar being treated now?
He was airlifted to the Military Hospital in Abu Dhabi after surgery in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. A family member has since told NDTV he has been moved to a hospital in Dubai and walked 10 steps — a positive sign in his recovery.

What happened to the co-pilot?
The Omani co-pilot, widely identified as Hammam Al-Hammami, was subdued by crew and passengers after Machchhar unlocked the cockpit door. The UAE attorney-general has ruled the attack an attempted terrorist act.