Flydubai Pilot Fought for Life as Plane Plunged After Copilot Attack

Capt. Smit Machchhar, the FlyDubai pilot who opened the cockpit door after being stabbed by his copilot during a mid-flight attack, told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he was fighting for his life when he made the decision.

“You are my biggest idol, and I am feeling very proud that you called me and encouraged me. I was fighting for my life in that moment,” Machchhar told Modi during a phone call on Friday.

“It was a moment when I thought, because I had fallen on the floor, I was wounded and had gone down. At that moment, I thought, I have been flying for the last 17 years and have been a captain for the last 11 years. Even if I shut my eyes, I can tell what is happening inside a plane,” he recalled. “While I was lying on the floor, I could feel the aircraft plunging. As I was being beaten, I said to myself, ‘This is the last push, Smit. Do it. The door is right there.’”

“Somehow, I opened the door, and everyone came in. Everyone else played an equal role in the rescue. I was trying to save myself, but I also knew that I couldn’t let anyone die,” he said.

Machchhar’s decision to open the cockpit door enabled Israeli passengers to rush inside, subdue the copilot and help stabilize the aircraft after it plunged more than 14,000 feet in just 30 seconds.

The pilot’s actions have earned praise from Modi, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and many passengers aboard the flight. Machchhar said his faith also helped him endure the terrifying ordeal.

“Whenever I’m in pain, I know only one thing: I chant the Hanuman Chalisa. I know that God saved me,” Machchhar said.

Modi told Machchhar that people across India were praying for his recovery.

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“Yesterday, prayers and chants were offered in temples and holy places across the country, wishing you a long life. We are all praying for your good health. You will be healthy again very soon, and India is eagerly waiting to welcome you,” Modi said.

“People are chanting mantras. Your courage, patience and presence of mind allowed you to make a decision in a fraction of a second and save the lives of so many people. Today, the whole country can say with pride that we Indians are not killers; we are lifesavers,” Modi said. “You endured so many wounds to your body and are fighting a battle between life and death. Even in that moment, you did not think about your own life. You thought about the lives of the passengers. Most importantly, you brought honor to 1.4 billion Indians, and that is why I feel proud from the bottom of my heart.”

Netanyahu said in a Thursday interview with Fox News that Machchhar was stabbed in the head and that “his arm was basically split in two.” Despite the severity of his injuries, the pilot said he remained hopeful about making a full recovery.

“I am not thinking about my wounds as typical wounds because that would hinder my recovery. I see these injuries as a journey that will progress slowly and take time. But I am very confident that I will recover and be absolutely healthy,” he told Modi.

After the aircraft was stabilized in Saudi Arabia and safely landed by a second flight crew aboard the plane, Machchhar was transported to a hospital in the UAE. He is now recovering there.

“I am fine, and everything is all right,” he told Modi.