MORE INFO: Captain Smit Machchhar, the flydubai pilot wounded in the cockpit attack, has described what happened. The co-pilot asked to pray in the cockpit. Machchhar said he did not initially consider the request unusual. About 4 to 5 minutes later he was suddenly struck repeatedly in the back of the head. His vision became badly blurred and he then felt the aircraft enter a sharp descent. He managed at one point to open the cockpit door, but the attacker shut it again. People outside were trying to get in using the cockpit access code. The co-pilot refused to grant them access from inside. Lying on the cockpit floor, Machchhar recalled hearing the aircraft rushing downward and passengers screaming. Believing he might die, he said he gathered "one last fight," forced his way back to the door, reached the internal twist handle and opened it. That allowed people outside to enter the cockpit and regain control of the aircraft.