Chaos on Flydubai flight caught on camera after attack on Indian captain Smit Machachhar: 'He hit me'

New video shows chaos inside flydubai FZ1073 after Indian captain was attacked mid-air. Flight made emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. Captain now recovering in Abu Dhabi as UAE begins probe.

Updated : Oct 02, 2026, 12:22 PM IST

The video, shot near the cockpit, shows passengers and crew shouting in English and Hebrew after they stopped an alleged attempt by the Omani co-pilot to crash the UAE-Israel flight. In the clip shared by i24News, Machchhar is heard saying, "he hit me". A person inside the cockpit is told to “relax" and passengers are told to "sit down". A crew member is also heard asking, "Doctor, is there a doctor?"

Captain Machchhar underwent first medical treatment in a hospital in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) claimed he has now been relocated to Abu Dhabi for continuing medical attention and recovery. Deepak Mittal, the Indian ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, paid Machchhar and his family a visit at the hospital on Thursday and asked how he was doing.

According to the Indian Embassy in the United Arab Emirates, Mittal had previously visited the family and promised them every assistance. "Captain Machchhar is in good health and recovering well," the embassy said in a social media post. The embassy added that it remains in close coordination with local authorities to ensure his care.

Abu Dhabi said it is looking into whether the event was connected to terrorist activity, prior planning, or direction. The co-pilot was moved from Saudi detention to the United Arab Emirates. UAE's chief prosecutor has launched an investigation. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu claimed the co-pilot underwent “Islamist radical indoctrination" and shouted, "Kill me, kill me". Israeli officials called it an attempted terrorist attack. Flydubai said the reason for the altercation is unclear and has suspended flights to Israel.