“I Was Not Going to Let Others Die”: Indian Pilot Recounts Fight to Save Flydubai Passengers
Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar remains at the centre of major international coverage following the extraordinary cockpit attack aboard flydubai Flight FZ1073.
The flight was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30 with 174 passengers and eight crew members when the first officer allegedly attacked Machchhar inside the cockpit. Reuters reported that the aircraft plunged nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds during the incident. Passengers and crew subsequently intervened, while reserve pilots helped regain control of the aircraft. The plane was diverted and landed safely at Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Machchhar was seriously injured during the confrontation. Despite his injuries, he managed to open the cockpit door, allowing people outside the flight deck to intervene. Speaking to Prime Minister Narendra Modi from his hospital bed in Abu Dhabi, Machchhar described the moment when he realised that he had to act despite his injuries.
According to his account reported by The Indian Express, Machchhar told Modi that he saw the cockpit door and made the decision to act. The intervention ultimately allowed passengers and crew to overpower the attacker and enabled backup pilots to assist in controlling the aircraft.
Modi spoke to Machchhar by video call on October 2. The Prime Minister’s Office said the conversation focused on the captain’s condition and the events surrounding the incident. Modi praised Machchhar’s courage and wished him a speedy recovery.
The incident is now the subject of investigations by authorities. Saudi Arabia’s preliminary findings confirmed that the first officer assaulted the captain and that both pilots were injured. The UAE has also launched an investigation into the circumstances of the cockpit incident.
There are, however, different claims about the motive, and those should not be treated as established fact while investigations continue. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu alleged that the co-pilot attempted to crash the aircraft and referred to possible radicalisation. Those claims have received international coverage, but the precise motive and circumstances remain matters for investigators.
Machchhar is continuing his recovery in the UAE. India’s government has said it is closely following his condition.
The story has generated widespread attention in India because of the combination of a mid-air cockpit assault, the large number of passengers aboard the aircraft, Machchhar’s injuries and his subsequent account of what happened.
