Pilot recounts cockpit attack on Dubai to Tel Aviv flight

Indian pilot Smit Machchhar said his copilot struck him repeatedly in the cockpit during a September 30 flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, and that he fought to open the cockpit door and get help. The aircraft landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after another pilot took control, according to reports; all aboard got off safely. Machchhar described the attack in interviews published on October 17. He said the flight had been routine and that he initially thought the first blow to the back of his head came from something breaking off the aircraft. He soon realized he was being attacked, he said, and his vision narrowed as the blows continued. He said he tried to protect himself and call another captain who was aboard, but lost consciousness at least once. His recollection of the next moments was fragmented. He remembered opening the cockpit door, hearing people intervene, and later finding himself between the cockpit and the galley. According to Machchhar, cabin crew, passengers and off-duty pilots restrained the copilot, while another captain took control of the aircraft. He said he drifted in and out of consciousness as the aircraft’s engine sounds changed and it descended. He...