Smit Machchhar is not buying the story. Speaking from a hospital bed in Abu Dhabi, the Indian Flydubai captain expressed skepticism about the widely reported claim that Israeli plumber Yaniv Hayoun took control of the aircraft to land it safely. "Can a plumber land an aircraft? I don't want to get into the guesswork here," Machchhar told The National. He admitted that his memory is fragmented, but his primary focus during the chaos was survival, not piloting the jet.
The attack was sudden and violent. Omani first officer Hamad al-Hammami, who had sat next to Machchhar for two hours without showing signs of distress, suddenly began striking him with a crash axe. "The first time when I was hit... my thought was something's gone horribly wrong with the aircraft structure," Machchhar recalled. He realized the threat only after multiple blows, nearly falling onto his control column before managing to unbuckle and open the cockpit door.
What happened next is a matter of intense debate. Emirati prosecutors describe the event as a "premeditated terrorist plot" aimed at killing all 172 people on board. While Hayoun claims he broke into the cockpit, pinned down the attacker, and flew the plane based on knowledge from the TV show Air Crash Investigation, Machchhar insists that senior crew members were in control. "I do remember the senior of the flight speaking and saying that the captain was at control," he said, leaving the plumber's role ambiguous.
The flight was eventually diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after passengers and crew restrained al-Hammami. Two off-duty Flydubai pilots reportedly took over the controls. Machchhar, who was initially treated in Saudi Arabia, has since been transferred to Abu Dhabi. The Indian Embassy confirmed on October 6 that he is making "steady progress" and "regaining his health," though the legal proceedings against al-Hammami are just beginning.