Flydubai Pilot Capt Smit Machchhar Speaks After Fighting Off Cockpit Attack to Save 170 Lives
- Flydubai pilot Capt Smit Machchhar spoke to Indian PM Narendra Modi about the moment he decided to act despite lying injured on the cockpit floor
- Flight FZ1073 dropped more than 17,000ft after the co-pilot attacked Machchhar and appeared to attempt to crash the plane carrying over 170 passengers
- Two reserve pilots who were travelling as passengers ultimately landed the plane safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia
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The Indian pilot at the centre of the Flydubai cockpit attack has described the moment he pushed himself to act despite being stabbed and beaten to the floor, saying he refused to let the more than 170 people on board die.
Captain Smit Machchhar made the remarks during a video call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, days after Flydubai flight FZ1073 dropped more than 17,000 feet over the Middle East early on a Wednesday morning after his co-pilot turned on him mid-flight.
Source: Getty Images
"I was lying on the floor injured but I told myself to go for one last push to open the door from inside," Machchhar said. "Others came in and also played a role in controlling the situation. I was of course fighting for my own life but at the same time I knew I was not going to let others die."
How the crisis unfolded
The flight, bound for Tel Aviv from Dubai, sent an emergency signal to air traffic controllers roughly two and a half hours into the journey before switching to squawk 7500, the international code for a hijacking in progress. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later confirmed that one pilot had stabbed the other before "apparently trying to crash" the plane.
Passengers and crew overpowered the attacker, and two reserve pilots who happened to be travelling on the flight as passengers took over the controls. They landed the aircraft safely at Tabuk Airport in north-western Saudi Arabia at 06:58 local time.
Machchhar was rushed to hospital in Tabuk and later airlifted to Abu Dhabi, where he is reported to be in a stable condition.
Modi praises pilot's bravery
During the video call with Modi, the captain said his 17 years of flying experience meant he could tell what was happening to the aircraft "even with my eyes closed." Modi told him that "his courage, patience and quick decision-making saved the lives of so many people" and that the whole of India was proud of him.
The Indian embassy in the UAE said on Thursday that Machchhar was "in good health and recovering well." Ambassador Deepak Mittal, who visited him, said he was "proud of Capt Smit for his bravery" and "very reassured" to meet him.
Machchhar, whom Netanyahu described as a "true hero," said he was approaching his recovery with a deliberate mindset. "I am not looking at this wound like a wound because that would make my recovery even more difficult. I am looking at it as a journey which is slowly going on and will take time but I am confident that the recovery will be there and I will become fit and healthy again."
Indian social media has been filled with praise for the captain since his identity became known following the incident.
Source: Legit.ng
