Flydubai pilot survives axe attack by co-pilot, undergoes skull surgery

Captain Smit Machchhar, the pilot who saved flydubai flight FZ1073, suffered a "depressed skull fracture" after his co-pilot attacked him with an axe, requiring emergency surgery in Saudi Arabia before transfer to the UAE for further treatment. The attack by co-pilot Hammam al-Hammami left a piece of Captain Machchhar's skull pressed inward toward his brain, according to sources. Dr Krishan Kumar Yadav of Marengo Asia Hospitals explained the injury is serious but treatable, with surgeons lifting or removing the pressed-in fragment and repairing any membrane damage. The Indian embassy confirmed Tuesday that Captain Machchhar is making steady progress and remains in close contact with his family and doctors. The captain told Israeli PM Netanyahu the co-pilot attacked him while praying, and he initially mistook the blows for aircraft damage before realizing the plane was descending sharply.