'Can't die like this': Indian pilot Smit Machchhar recalls flydubai flight ordeal

Indian Captain Smit Machchhar, who survived an assault by his Omani co-pilot aboard a flydubai flight in September, recalled the ordeal and how he might not survive. In a teaser released by Sky News Arabia ahead of an exclusive interview, asked whether there was a moment when he thought he might not make it, Machchhar said he told himself he needed to act before it was too late.

"I mean, I'm trying to get over it now, but yes, there was a moment that I realised, and I told myself that, Smith, do something. You can't die like this," he said. "I'm not saying I accepted my death. It was like, do something, otherwise..." he added, describing the moment when he realised that he had to act.

Machchhar also recalled the scene after the cockpit door was opened, describing the panic and screaming. "I remember being face down, and of course the panic which was there, the screaming which was there," he said. He also praised the colleague who took over the controls during the crisis, calling the colleague's actions commendable. "It's something that I'll keep with me till I die," Machchhar said.

The interview comes weeks after the September 30 incident aboard flydubai flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The Indian captain was allegedly attacked by his Omani co-pilot, identified as Hamam al-Hammami, inside the cockpit.

Despite his injuries, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to intervene and overpower the alleged attacker. The aircraft experienced a sharp drop in altitude before it was brought under control and diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. The full interview is scheduled to air on Sky News Arabia at 9 pm Abu Dhabi time or 10.30pm IST (5 pm GMT).