Modi praises Indian pilot who helped foil attack on Israel-bound flight
Captain Smit Machchhar told India’s prime minister he forced himself to open the cockpit door despite his injuries as the aircraft lost altitude
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Captain Smit Machchhar during a video call after the wounded Indian pilot helped save passengers aboard a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
“The whole country is praying for you,” Modi told Machchhar during Friday’s conversation, praising his courage and composure. He said the captain’s actions demonstrated Indians’ willingness to risk their own lives to save others.
Machchhar described lying injured on the cockpit floor and realizing the aircraft was losing altitude. With his attacker still striking him, he pushed himself to reach the cockpit door and open it, allowing others to intervene.
“This is the one last push, Smit. Just do it. The door is right there,” he recalled telling himself.
Machchhar described the moments of the attack in the cockpit. "At that moment, I was fighting for my life. It was a moment when I realized that if I didn't act... because I was already injured, I had many wounds... I had to do something."
Machchhar emphasized that he did not act alone in preventing the disaster. "Everyone took an equal part in it. What I did was to save my life, but at the same time, I knew I couldn't let everyone else die."
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The captain said he had been fighting for his own survival but was also conscious of his responsibility for those aboard. He credited the others who intervened with an equal role in averting the disaster.
Machchhar also told Modi that he recited the Hanuman Chalisa, a Hindu devotional hymn, during the ordeal. He became emotional during the conversation and said he had never imagined he would have the opportunity to speak to the prime minister. Modi thanked Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for caring for the pilot and offered further assistance.
The attack took place Wednesday aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073. Israeli officials said the co-pilot stabbed Machchhar and attempted to crash the aircraft. Despite his injuries, the captain unlocked the cockpit door, enabling passengers and crew to overpower the attacker. Two other Flydubai pilots aboard the flight then landed the plane safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Machchhar was transferred Thursday to a hospital in the UAE. India’s ambassador to the country said he was in stable condition and recovering well.