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Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar has described for the first time what he experienced inside the cockpit after his co-pilot attacked him on a Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv
Speaking to Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in a video call earlier today, 2 October, Machchhar said he was fighting for his life after sustaining multiple injuries but realised he had to get back up when he sensed that the aircraft was going down.
The Flydubai flight 1073 was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday, 30 September, when the co-pilot, whose identity has not yet been released but is known to be an Omani national, attacked Machchhar inside the cockpit.
The aircraft subsequently went into a steep descent before passengers and crew managed to enter the cockpit and subdue the attacker. It eventually landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Machchhar, who was seriously injured in the attack, is recovering after receiving medical treatment.
He realised the plane was going down while he was lying injured
During his conversation with Modi, Machchhar said he had fallen to the floor after sustaining multiple injuries. But because of his years of experience as a pilot, he said he could still tell what was happening with the aircraft even while lying on the cockpit floor.
"When I was lying down on the floor, I was sensing that the aircraft was going down."
Machchhar said he had been flying for more than 17 years and had been a captain for 11 years. He knew that the situation was becoming critical.
"I knew for sure that if I could just push through these last 4 to 5 minutes, the exit door was right there."
"And I knew for sure that if I could just push through these last 4 to 5 minutes, the exit door was right there. And even then, I was continuously sustaining impacts."
Machchhar said he managed to reach and open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to enter the cockpit and help overpower the attacker.
Indian pilot Smit Machchhar has been hailed as a hero for saving passengers after he was stabbed by his colleague in an alleged attempt to crash a Flydubai plane on Wednesday.
Image via Israel Foreign Ministry"I was acting to save my own life"
Machchhar told Modi that while his actions ultimately helped protect everyone on board, he was initially fighting to survive himself.
"I was acting to save my own life, but at the same time I knew that all of us shouldn't perish."
His account also highlighted how quickly the situation unfolded.
The aircraft had been flying at cruising altitude before the cockpit confrontation and then lost thousands of feet rapidly. Israeli officials said the plane dropped from around 33,000ft to 17,000ft within about a minute.
Among those who intervened was a doctor travelling as a passenger, while other relief pilots who were on board also helped take control of the aircraft.
A photo showing damage to the tail of the FlyDubai1073 sustained during its rapid descent.
Image via Social mediaMachchhar says he kept reciting the Hanuman Chalisa
Machchhar also told Modi what he turned to during the most frightening moments of the incident.
"Whenever I feel afraid, only one thing comes to me: I recite the Hanuman Chalisa," Machchhar said, referring to a 40-verse Hindu devotional hymn for the divine monkey-like being in Hinduism, celebrated for his supreme devotion, immense strength, and courage.
He said he had been reciting the prayer during the attack and believed that Lord Hanuman had saved him.
Machchhar also said that he recites the Hanuman Chalisa with his 2-year-old son every morning.
"Even though we live far from our country today, we must never grow distant from our culture."
Machchhar became emotional when Modi told him that people across India were praying for his recovery and praised him for the actions he took during the incident.
He said the prime minister's call itself was overwhelming for him.
"Now that your call came, I feel very proud, and I am getting emotional and teary-eyed now — I wasn't crying until now, but now I am, sir. Sorry for crying in front of you, sir."
Modi responded, "Smit, if you won't get emotional in front of me, then where else would you?"
Machchhar then told him, "I never thought that I would ever speak to you; I never imagined it."
The conversation became emotional again when Modi thanked Machchhar's family for the values they had instilled in him.
"You have done such a great deed that today every citizen, and people across the world, are eager to see you and speak with you. What you mentioned about the Hanuman Chalisa, for that I bow to your parents for instilling such values in you … You have truly brought glory to the entire nation," Modi told Machchhar.
He has been flying for more than 15 years
Machchhar grew up in Mumbai and initially had no plans to become a pilot.
He had been studying with the intention of eventually joining his family's business when he attended an aviation seminar at around 19. He later trained in New Zealand before joining Indian airline company SpiceJet in 2011. He spent more than a decade with SpiceJet before joining Flydubai as a captain in 2022.
His LinkedIn profile lists nearly 9,750 hours of flying experience, including more than 6,400 hours as pilot-in-command.
His former instructor in New Zealand, Philip Kean, described him as a calm and jovial person who had been trained to handle emergencies.
"We trained him for forced landing – not this kind of situation, which is very, very rare," Kean told the BBC.
He once said the priority was getting everyone safely off the plane
An old interview from October last year with Machchhar on the Bona-Fide Banter podcast by CS Zalak Mehta on YouTube has also resurfaced following the incident.
Speaking about his career and the emergencies he had encountered in the air, Machchhar said delays were not his biggest concern.
"As long as you're walking out of the aircraft safely, that's what I want."
He also recalled an incident in which a passenger went into early labour during a flight, requiring the crew to work together to ensure the baby was delivered safely.
At the time, Machchhar said he had never had to make an emergency landing, although he had dealt with medical emergencies and minor aircraft problems.
He also spoke about the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance, saying, "Give personal life equal importance – it will help you fly longer."
Screenshot from the Bona-Fide Banter podcast with Captain Smit Machchhar.
Image via CS Zalak Mehta (YouTube)Machchhar is still recovering from his injuries
The captain remains under medical care following the attack.
The UAE has opened an investigation into the incident to establish what happened, the circumstances surrounding the attack and whether it was connected to terrorist activity or involved prior planning.
During his conversation with Modi, Machchhar said he was confident he would eventually make a full recovery.
"It will take time, but I am very confident that I will recover and regain complete health."
Modi then told Machchhar that he did not want to discuss the finer details of the incident further over the phone and that they could speak about them when they met in person.
"When we meet in person, I will hear the inner details later, as I don't want to discuss those matters over the phone right now. You focus on recovering fully. You have demonstrated through your life what true non-violence means.
"Jai Shri Krishna. Get well very soon, and then we shall meet.
"Jai Hind."
