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Indian pilot Smit Machchhar has recounted how he opened the cockpit door after his co-pilot stabbed him mid-flight, aboard a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
Machchhar spoke to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a video call on Friday. He spoke from a hospital bed in Abu Dhabi, where he is receiving treatment for his injuries. The pilot appeared emotional as he described the attack and his struggle to reach the cockpit door.
“I knew that the aircraft was going down,” Machchhar told Modi.
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He said he had fallen to the floor but realised the cockpit door was within reach.
“I told myself that the door is right there, just open it. I managed to do it and people entered,” he said.
The incident occurred on Wednesday aboard a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, and the flight was carrying 174 people when the co-pilot allegedly attacked Machchhar. The aircraft then plunged nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds.
Machchhar said his 17 years of flying experience helped him understand how serious the situation was.
“I have been flying for the last 17 years, have been a captain for the last 11 years. I knew that the aircraft was going down,” he said.
After Machchhar opened the cockpit door, passengers and crew entered and overpowered the co-pilot. A second team of Flydubai pilots then took control of the aircraft, and they safely landed the plane in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Modi praised Machchhar for his actions during the emergency. The Indian Prime Minister said the pilot’s presence of mind helped save lives and uphold the reputation of Indian pilots. Machchhar, from Gujarat, also said he believed God saved him.
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“I know God saved me,” he said.
He told Modi that he recited a Hindu prayer to Hanuman during the ordeal. Meanwhile, Israeli officials said Machchhar was covered in blood and lying on the cockpit floor when he managed to open the door.
The United Arab Emirates has launched an investigation into the incident, including its circumstances and possible motive. Authorities have not yet established the motive behind the attack. The investigation is expected to determine what led to the confrontation and whether it was linked to any wider plot.
