Indian Pilot Recounts Dramatic Cockpit Escape After Flydubai Attack

Indian pilot Smit Machchhar has described how he fought to open the cockpit door after being stabbed by his co-pilot during a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Speaking to Prime Minister Narendra Modi from a hospital in Abu Dhabi, Machchhar said he feared the aircraft was going down and, despite being injured, managed to reach and open the cockpit door.

The aircraft, carrying 174 people, plunged nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds during the incident on Wednesday. Machchhar, who has 17 years of flying experience and has served as a captain for 11 years, said he recited a prayer to Hanuman during the ordeal and credited God with saving his life.

Once the cockpit door was opened, passengers and crew were able to overpower the co-pilot. A second pair of Flydubai pilots then took control of the aircraft and landed it safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Modi praised Machchhar’s bravery and presence of mind, saying his actions helped save lives.

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