When a copilot stabbed the captain with a knife and tried to crash a flight from Dubai to Israel, a passenger who happened to be a dentist stayed by the badly bleeding captain's side and helped save his life, it has emerged.
According to The Associated Press, the incident occurred on Sept. 30 (local time) aboard a FlyDubai flight from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to Tel Aviv, Israel, when the copilot stabbed the captain with a weapon and tried to damage the plane's controls. The plane went into a steep dive, and many of the 182 people on board said they believed they were about to crash.
The Struggle Outside the Cockpit
Cockpit doors are normally kept locked to prevent hijackings, but Indian captain Smit Machchhar, despite being stabbed, managed to open the door himself. In that moment, several passengers rushed down the aisle and grabbed the copilot. Plumber Yaniv Hayoun said he took over the controls and tried to bring the plane under control. He had no flight training, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told local broadcasters that Hayoun recalled scenes he had seen in movies. Two British pilots who were also on board stepped in to stabilize the plane again and send out a distress signal, while passengers bound the copilot's hands with a headphone cord. Aviation experts marveled that the plane did not crash despite a dive so steep that the rudder was torn off.
The Dentist Who Kept the Captain Alive
Throughout this, dentist Dr. Shota Musayev stayed by the captain, who had lost a great deal of blood, and monitored his condition. "He was just praying the whole time and was in contact with me, and I was afraid we would really lose him," Musayev said. Passengers kept watch over the cabin for nearly an hour, wary that other attackers might be on board, before the plane made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
Passengers Hailed as Heroes
The Israeli passengers were welcomed home after returning to Tel Aviv. Prime Minister Netanyahu embraced Hayoun in person, calling him "a hero who has saved many lives," and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Captain Machchhar "a HERO." Machchhar is reported to be recovering in good health at a hospital in the United Arab Emirates. Four days after the incident, the copilot's identity and motive have still not been made public.
South Korea also has a legal provision that protects people who are not medical professionals, or medical professionals who are off duty, when they help someone in a life-threatening situation: if the person they help is injured or dies as a result, the helper is exempt from all civil liability, and from criminal liability or has it reduced, as long as there was no intent or gross negligence. Under Article 5-2 of the Emergency Medical Service Act, this protection covers both emergency care given by off-duty medical professionals within the scope of their license and emergency care given by ordinary people who are not medical professionals. This means that if the dentist and the plumber on the Dubai-bound flight had done what they did in South Korea, the law could back up their choices.