Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot who helped avert a major tragedy after being stabbed by his co-pilot aboard a Dubai-Tel Aviv flydubai flight, recalled the terrifying moments of the mid-air crisis to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. Machchhar said he could feel the aircraft going down even after he collapsed from his injuries.
Seriously wounded and fighting for his life, Machchhar said his years of flying experience told him that the aircraft was in a dangerous descent. He then made “one last push” to reach and open the cockpit door, despite continuing to be hit.
“I was trying to save my own life, but I knew I could not let all those people die,” Machchhar told Modi during a video call from his hospital bed.
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Smit Machchhar on the ‘one last push’
Machchhar said he had fallen to the floor after suffering multiple injuries during the alleged attack, but remained aware of what was happening to the aircraft.
“When I was down on the floor, I sensed that the aircraft was going down. And I knew for sure: ‘This is the one last push, Smit. Just do it. The door is right there,’” he said.
“Even as blows were still landing on me, I just managed to open it, sir. Then everyone else arrived. The others also played an equal role in this,” he told the Prime Minister.
Machchhar said that although he was consciously trying to save himself, he knew that allowing the situation to continue could cost the passengers their lives.
“Consciously, I was telling everyone that I was acting for my own survival, but at the same time, I knew deep down that I could not let all of them die,” he said.
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‘Even with my eyes closed, I know what is happening’
The captain said his extensive experience as a pilot helped him understand the aircraft’s condition even while he was lying injured on the cockpit floor.
“I have been flying planes in aviation for 17 years. I have been a captain for the last 11 years. Even with my eyes closed, I know exactly what is happening with the aircraft,” Machchhar said.
He described how, after being knocked down, he could still sense that the aircraft was descending.
“I get to know, even with my eyes closed, what is happening in the aircraft. When I had fallen down, then I was feeling that the aircraft is going down. And I totally knew that this is the last few seconds of Smit. And even then, I was trying to crawl. I opened the door, and rest all came,” he said.
Once the cockpit door was opened, passengers rushed in and helped restrain the alleged attacker.
Passengers rushed in after cockpit door opened
The incident involved flydubai flight FZ1073, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30. Machchhar was allegedly attacked by his co-pilot during the flight, leaving him seriously injured and triggering a struggle for control of the aircraft.
According to the account shared by Machchhar, opening the cockpit door was a crucial moment. Once he managed to do so, passengers entered the cockpit and helped overpower the attacker.
The aircraft was subsequently diverted to Saudi Arabia and made an emergency landing in Tabuk. Machchhar later received medical treatment for his injuries.
Machchhar also made it clear that he did not see himself as the only person responsible for averting the crisis, telling Modi that the passengers who intervened also played an equal role.
“The others also played an equal role in this,” he said.
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‘I was fighting for my life’
Machchhar described the incident as a fight for survival, saying there was a moment when he realised that simply remaining on the floor could have fatal consequences for the passengers.
“I was in that moment, sir, I was, I was fighting for my life,” he told Modi.
“But one such moment was there when I realised that if I didn’t do anything, because I had fallen down, I had so many injuries that I had fallen down below,” he said.
The flight was carrying 174 passengers and later landed safely in Saudi Arabia after being diverted.
‘Hanuman Chalisa’ helped him stay calm
During the conversation with Modi, Machchhar also spoke about how he tried to remain calm during the ordeal.
He said he regularly recited the Hanuman Chalisa whenever he found himself in a difficult situation and continued doing so during the attack.
“Whenever I feel afraid, only one thing comes to mind: I recite the Hanuman Chalisa. Even during that ordeal, I was continuously reciting the Hanuman Chalisa. I know that God’s grace was with me,” he said.
Machchhar later told Modi that he also recites the prayer with his two-year-old son and that his family had remained connected to their culture while living away from India.
Modi praises Machchhar’s courage
Modi praised Machchhar for his courage, patience and presence of mind during the crisis, saying he had made crucial decisions within fractions of a second.
“Your courage, your patience, and your presence of mind. You made crucial decisions in fractions of a second and saved so many lives,” Modi told him.
The Prime Minister also told Machchhar that he could reach out to him whenever he needed help.
“Smit, whenever you need me, I am just a phone call away,” Modi said.
“India is waiting to welcome you back and is very excited for it,” he added, saying people across the country were praying for the captain’s long life and good health.
Machchhar became emotional during the conversation and told Modi, “I never thought I’d be talking to you right now.”
“If you aren’t emotional in front of me, then where will you be?” Modi responded.
I will recover, says Smit
Machchhar, who is recovering from his injuries, said he remained confident that he would make a full recovery, although he acknowledged that it would take time.
“I am thinking of it as a journey that will happen slowly. And it will take time, but I am very, very confident that I will recover. And I will be completely healthy,” he told Modi.
The Prime Minister also expressed gratitude to the Saudi and UAE governments for the assistance provided to Machchhar following the incident.
The captain’s account to Modi comes as he continues to recover from injuries sustained in the alleged cockpit attack. Modi had earlier praised his “patience, presence of mind, and courage”, saying his actions helped prevent what he described as a “9/11-style tragedy”.
