A Georgian doctor aboard a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv treated a pilot who was seriously wounded after being attacked in the cockpit, helping stabilize him before the plane made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia, according to an interview with the doctor published by The Times of Israel.
Shota Musaev, a Georgian dentist living in Israel, was returning from China when he noticed something unusual on the plane and was among the first passengers to run toward the cockpit.
"When I heard the screams, I ran away within 10 seconds. When I entered the cockpit, the pilot was in a very serious condition, bleeding heavily, especially from the head. I was the only doctor on the plane, and in the end, I stopped the bleeding and stabilized his blood pressure. It was a very difficult moment, but together with several brave people on the plane, we stopped a situation that was very close to a catastrophe. Now I just want to go home and see my children," Musayev said.
Georgian journalist Mikheil Khetsoidze, who lives in Israel, also wrote about Musaev's role in the incident, citing details provided by the doctor.
"New details of the dramatic events that unfolded on the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight are becoming known about Georgian doctor Shota Musaev, the man who took part in rescuing the injured pilot on the FlyDubai flight," Khetsoidze wrote.
Musaev was aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073 when the pilot was attacked and passengers faced what he described as a potentially life-threatening situation. He said that when he heard noise and screams coming from the front of the plane, he ran toward the cockpit to help. At the time, he did not know that he would soon have to provide emergency medical treatment.
"I was going to fight a terrorist, not to provide medical assistance," Musaev recalled.
According to Musaev, several passengers helped restrain the attacker, who resisted strongly and eventually had to be tied up. Only afterward did Musaev see the wounded captain, who was lying on the floor with heavy bleeding from wounds to his head and hands. The pilot was conscious and able to speak with passengers.
"I was the only doctor on the plane. I was able to stop the bleeding," Musaev said.
He said the wounded captain remained in relatively stable condition until the plane landed in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where he was handed over to Saudi medical personnel. Musaev was later told that the captain had survived and was no longer in danger.
Musaev recalled the plane's sharp descent as the most difficult moment of the incident, saying passengers believed for several seconds that they were going to die.
Passengers called for other pilots who were on board to enter the cockpit. After one of them took control of the aircraft, Musaev said, passengers realized they had a chance of surviving.
"The investigation into the full circumstances of the incident on the Flydubai flight is ongoing. However, one thing is already confirmed by Shota Musaev's own account: the Georgian doctor, along with other passengers, participated in stopping the attacker and then provided professional assistance to the seriously wounded captain," Khetsoidze wrote.
The Dubai-Tel Aviv flight was diverted to Saudi Arabia following a dispute involving the pilots. During the incident, the aircraft transmitted signals indicating "unlawful interference" and an emergency before landing at Tabuk Airport.
Israeli media have increasingly reported that authorities are considering whether the incident may have been an attempted terrorist attack. The full circumstances of the incident remain under investigation.
An article written by ბელა თაბუაშვილი (GPB), initially published on 30 September 2026, 23:19 (CEST)
