Head almost severed in two: Dentist who treated flydubai captain Smit Machchhar

A dentist who rushed into the cockpit of a flydubai flight during a pilot's attempt to crash the flight by attacking Captain Smit Machchhar described his injuries as so severe that his head was "almost severed in two". The dentist, who treated the captain, said the pilot had lost a large amount of blood and was close to dying.

Dr Shota Musaev told CNN that he found the attacker on top of the captain, stabbing him. Musaev rushed to help the captain, an Indian national, whom he said was "terrified" and appeared to be in critical condition.

"He was covered in cuts -- his head, his hands -- they were practically sliced open, almost severed in two. He had lost a lot of blood and was in bad shape," Musaev recounted.

"I think that if we had waited even a few more moments, we would have lost him. His blood pressure had plummeted, he suddenly lost consciousness and there was blood everywhere," he said.

Musaev, an Israeli dentist, was among three passengers who rushed towards the cockpit of flydubai flight after hearing screams. He said he initially went there to confront the attacker, rather than to provide medical assistance.

"I saw something wasn't right and ran forward. I didn't wait for anyone to call me," Musaev told Israeli news outlet Ynet. "I came to fight the attacker when I heard the screams. I didn't come to provide medical treatment, but after we tied him up, I treated the stabbed pilot."

Once the attacker was overpowered and restrained, Musaev turned his attention to the injured captain and used his medical training to treat the wounds.

"The pilot was in very bad shape, with heavy bleeding from his head and hands," Musaev added. "I was the only doctor on the plane. I managed to stop the bleeding and the pilot was fairly stable until shortly before landing, when his condition deteriorated somewhat."

Musaev said several passengers helped overpower the attacker, who continued to struggle even after being restrained.

"There were a few brave people there," he said. "We took control of the attacker and tied him up. Of course, it was difficult, but we managed".

"He was thrashing around, so we tied him several times, both his legs and his hands," Musaev said. "He kept struggling, so we tied him tighter. Then he calmed down and understood that he was in our hands."

The injured captain remained conscious for some time and spoke to the passengers while lying on the cockpit floor, Musaev said.

"The pilot was talking to us while he was lying there and told us he was 39 and had two children," he said. "The attacker stabbed him and cursed him".

Musaev also recalled the panic among passengers as the aircraft rapidly lost altitude. Passengers then began shouting for other pilots who were aboard the aircraft to come to the cockpit.

"We saw the pilots and started screaming, 'Bring the pilots,'" Musaev said. "Then when one of them went into the cockpit and took control, we understood that we had survived."

Describing how he and the other passengers responded to the attack, Musaev said there was little time to think.

On September 30, a flydubai flight en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv experienced a severe mid-air security incident when the Omani co-pilot stabbed the captain in a suspected terrorist attempt to crash the aircraft. The cockpit altercation sent the flight into a rapid dive, plummeting roughly 16,000 feet in just two minutes before a hijacking emergency code was broadcast.

Despite being seriously wounded, captain Machchhar valiantly fought back and with the help of crew members and passengers who forced their way into the cockpit to subdue the attacker, they successfully regained control of the plane. The aircraft safely made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia's Tabuk, where all 180 passengers survived unharmed.- Ends