Captain Smit Machchhar, the flydubai pilot seriously injured when his co-pilot attacked him during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, has described the dramatic moments in which he fought through his injuries to open the cockpit door and help prevent the aircraft from crashing.
“I couldn’t let all of them die,” Machchhar said while recounting the incident, according to a report by The New York Times.
The Indian pilot spoke publicly about the attack during a video call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi from his hospital bed in Abu Dhabi, where he was recovering with bandages on his head and hands.
Machchhar said he immediately understood the seriousness of the situation as the aircraft began rapidly losing altitude.
“I knew that the aircraft was going down,” he said, according to Reuters. After suffering multiple injuries and collapsing to the cockpit floor, Machchhar said he realised that reaching the cockpit door could be the only way to bring help inside.
“I had fallen to the ground. I told myself that the door is right there, just open it,” he recalled.
Despite his injuries and the continuing attack, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to enter and overpower the co-pilot.
Aircraft plunged thousands of feet
The incident occurred aboard flydubai Flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
Reuters reported that the aircraft, carrying 174 passengers, plunged nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds during the attack. Machchhar, who has flown professionally for 17 years and served as a captain for 11 years, said his experience allowed him to recognise what was happening to the aircraft even while he was on the floor.
After the cockpit door was opened, passengers and crew members were able to subdue the co-pilot. A reserve flydubai pilot crew travelling aboard the aircraft subsequently took control.
The Boeing 737 was diverted and landed safely at Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
Captain credits faith during ordeal
During his emotional conversation with Modi, Machchhar said he had been fighting for his own survival while also thinking about everyone else aboard the aircraft.
According to reports, he recited a Hindu prayer during the ordeal and later told Modi that he believed God had saved him.
Modi praised the captain’s courage and presence of mind, saying his actions had helped save the lives of those aboard.
UAE investigating attack as terrorism
The attack has triggered a major investigation involving authorities in the region.
UAE authorities have described the incident as a terrorist act, while investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding the co-pilot and whether he had any connections to extremist organisations.
More recent reports have also raised questions about the co-pilot’s background and how he was cleared to operate the Tel Aviv route. Reuters reported on October 5, citing two Israeli officials, that investigators believe the co-pilot had planned an attack before joining flydubai.
The investigation remains ongoing.
For Machchhar, however, the critical moment came down to a single decision while seriously wounded inside the cockpit: getting the door open so others could help.
“I was of course fighting for my own life,” he recalled.
But, as The New York Times reported him saying, he knew he could not allow everyone aboard the aircraft to die.
