‘I was fighting for my life’: Indian pilot hailed as hero recalls Flydubai cockpit attack | Flydubai plane incident

The Indian pilot who helped foil an apparent attempt to crash a Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv said his faith and desire to save his passengers allowed him to make a “last effort” to open the cockpit door as he fought for his life.

Captain Smit Machchhar, recovering in an Abu Dhabi hospital, described to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi how he helped save the plane and its more than 170 passengers.

“I had suffered so many injuries that I collapsed. At that moment, I could feel the plane crashing. I knew it was the last push,” Machchhar told Modi in a video call on Friday. “I was fighting for my life. At some point I realized that if I didn’t get up… then the passengers would lose their lives.”

His Omani co-pilot apparently stabbed him and threw the plane into a steep descent, with the plane falling about 17,000 feet in the space of a minute. While still under attack, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to enter, subdue the attacker, and ultimately stabilize the aircraft.

The full circumstances of the attack are still under investigation, but a rescue team on the flight helped land the plane safely in Tabouk, northwest Saudi Arabia. Saudi authorities arrested the co-pilot and have since questioned him.

Machchhar, a father of two, was seriously injured in the attack, but he credited his 17 years of aviation experience with helping him understand the gravity of the situation.

Modi praised the captain for his actions, which he said helped avert a “great tragedy.”

“You have done such a thing that people across the country and the world are eager to see you and talk to you,” Modi told him. “You have truly made the whole country proud. »

The alleged attacker’s motives and affiliation are still unknown, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said an initial investigation found he had undergone “radical Islamic indoctrination.”

The attacker is to be returned to the United Arab Emirates, where Emirati investigators will work to establish possible links to terrorist organizations. Netanyahu said Israel would cooperate with the UAE in the investigation.

Machchhar was hailed as a hero by world leaders, who said his actions helped prevent a major catastrophe and saved many lives.

The pilot said that during difficult times, he recited the Hanuman Chalisa, a devotional hymn dedicated to the Hindu deity Hanuman and traditionally recited as a prayer for strength and courage.

“Lord Hanuman gave me courage,” Machchhar told Modi.

He added that he felt proud of himself for the first time since the attack. “I feel very proud right now. I haven’t felt proud of myself until now,” he told Modi.

“I don’t see it as an injury, I see it as a journey,” he said, covered in bandages. “And it will take time, but I am very, very confident in my recovery.”