I was fighting for my life’: Indian pilot hailed as hero recalls FlyDubai cockpit attack

Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar has described the terrifying moments when he was stabbed by his co pilot aboard a FlyDubai flight and fought through serious injuries to help prevent the aircraft from crashing.

Speaking from an Abu Dhabi hospital during a televised video call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, Machchhar said he realized he had to overcome his injuries because the lives of everyone aboard the aircraft were at risk.

Machchhar became emotional while recalling the attack, explaining that he had suffered multiple wounds and had fallen to the cockpit floor.

He said his immediate concern changed from simply surviving the assault to getting back up and doing something to protect the passengers.

The Boeing 737 was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30 when the co pilot allegedly attacked Machchhar and the aircraft entered a steep descent. The captain, despite being seriously injured, managed to open the cockpit door.

That allowed passengers and other crew members to enter the cockpit and restrain the attacker. Two additional FlyDubai pilots who were travelling as passengers later helped bring the aircraft under control and complete an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

The flight was carrying more than 170 people. Reports differ slightly on the exact number of passengers and people aboard, but the aircraft was safely landed after plunging thousands of feet in a matter of seconds.

Machchhar, who is from Mumbai, has since received widespread praise for his actions. His decision to open the cockpit door while badly injured gave passengers an opportunity to intervene at a critical moment.

During his conversation with Modi, Machchhar also spoke about the role of his faith during the ordeal. He said he recited the Hanuman Chalisa, a Hindu devotional prayer associated with Lord Hanuman, while facing the attack.

He credited the prayer with giving him courage during the crisis.

Machchhar has worked in commercial aviation for many years. Before joining FlyDubai, he spent more than a decade with Indian carrier SpiceJet, where he served in senior flying and training roles. He later joined FlyDubai and became a Boeing 737 captain.

The incident has prompted an international investigation into what happened inside the cockpit and what may have motivated the co pilot to attack his colleague.

The attacker has been identified by officials as an Omani national. He was initially taken into custody after the aircraft landed in Saudi Arabia and was later transferred to the United Arab Emirates, where authorities are examining the circumstances surrounding the incident. The motive has not been established.

Questions have also been raised about whether the attack was connected to a wider extremist network or had any involvement from outside actors. Israeli and American officials have publicly discussed possible links to Iran, but no evidence establishing an Iranian role has been presented, and investigators have not announced a definitive motive.

The incident has also affected air travel between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Commercial flights were suspended following the attack, leaving some passengers stranded and prompting plans for special repatriation flights to return Israeli citizens from the UAE.

The FlyDubai flight had become part of a growing travel connection between the UAE and Israel following the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2020.

For Machchhar, however, the focus remains on recovery after an ordeal that placed his own life and the safety of everyone aboard the aircraft in immediate danger.

His account has provided the first detailed look at the moments inside the cockpit, when an injured captain was forced to act quickly as the aircraft descended rapidly. His actions, combined with the intervention of passengers, crew members and other pilots, helped turn a potentially catastrophic situation into an emergency landing with the aircraft’s occupants surviving the incident.

Courtesy: CBC