Indian aviation captain Smit Machchhar has provided a harrowing account of the cockpit attack on a Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv, describing how he fought off his stabbed co-pilot to prevent a catastrophic crash. The revelation came during a video conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, broadcast from his hospital bed in Abu Dhabi.
Machchhar, who sustained severe injuries during the incident, recalled collapsing on the cockpit floor as the aircraft descended. “I had suffered so many injuries that I had collapsed. At that time, I could feel that the aircraft was going down,” he said in the nearly 10-minute recording shared on the prime minister’s social media platforms. “I knew this was the last push, that the door was right there.” Despite continuing assaults, he managed to unbolt the door, allowing passengers and crew to enter and restrain the co-pilot.
The 17-year veteran pilot, 11 of which were spent commanding aircraft, told Modi that his training enabled him to assess the critical situation even while wounded. He also revealed that he recited a Hindu devotional prayer during the crisis, stating, “I know God himself saved me.”
Prime Minister Modi, hailing from the same Indian state of Gujarat as Machchhar, praised the captain’s composure, noting that his quick thinking had preserved both lives and the reputation of Indian pilots. Machchhar confirmed that once the co-pilot was subdued, control was handed to a second pair of Flydubai pilots, who safely landed the aircraft in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
The Boeing 737, carrying 174 people, experienced a steep drop of approximately 17,000 feet (5,180 meters) before being brought back under control. The geopolitical fallout has been significant, with UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash labeling the event a “terrorist act.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed the accused co-pilot had undergone “Islamist radical indoctrination” and exhibited suicidal tendencies, while US President Donald Trump warned that Iran would face severe consequences if linked to the attack. The United Arab Emirates has announced it will conduct a full investigation into the incident.
How does anyone stay focused enough to unbolt a cockpit door while bleeding out like that? True hero.
Incredible bravery under such extreme pressure. The training really paid off in that critical moment.