“I was trying to save my own life, but I knew I couldn't let all these people [passengers] die,” Machchhar, the captain of flight FZ1073, said in a meeting with Modi from his hospital bed.
In the approximately 10-minute video released by the Prime Ministry, Machchhar was seen to have a tube in his nose and bandages on his head and hands. The pilot, who was treated at the hospital in Abu Dhabi, wiped his tears from time to time while telling what he experienced.
"I realized that the plane had crashed... I collapsed on the ground. I said to myself, 'The door is right in front of me, all I have to do is open it.' I managed to do this and people got in," said Machchhar, adding that he received many injuries during the attack.
Stating that he had been a pilot for 17 years and served as captain pilot for 11 years, Machchhar said, "I realized that the plane was going to crash. I had received many injuries and fell to the ground." The pilot could not hold back his tears while describing the moment of the attack.
Modi, on the other hand, praised Machchhar's courage and said that his quick decision-making saved the lives of passengers and protected the reputation of Indian pilots.
PILOT BROUGHT TO UAE
Machchhar, who managed to open the cockpit door despite being injured and allowed the plane to be taken under control, was transferred from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday.
India's Embassy in Abu Dhabi announced that the pilot is in good health and his recovery process is progressing positively.
Although two days have passed since the Flydubai plane made an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia on its way from Dubai to Tel Aviv, the reason for the attack is not yet clear. According to the information in the media, there were a total of 174 passengers on the plane, 166 of whom were Israeli.
5 THOUSAND METERS IN 1 MINUTE
According to the passengers, the co-pilot stabbed the captain in order to crash the plane. The plane lost altitude of 5 thousand meters in about a minute.
After the injured captain Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, the passengers entered the cockpit and neutralized the attacker.
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Tehran would receive a "very heavy blow" if Iran's role in the attack is confirmed.
Asked whether Iran was behind the attack, Trump said, "Based on what I've heard, I think the answer is yes, but we're working on that right now." Trump's assessment of Iran's role has so far not been confirmed by investigators.
"HE ATTACKED THE CAPTAIN"
In their first official statement about the incident, Saudi Arabian authorities stated that the preliminary investigation revealed that "the co-pilot attacked the aircraft captain."
The suspect was later sent to the United Arab Emirates. The UAE Chief Public Prosecutor's Office announced that an investigation was launched to determine whether the incident was "connected to any terrorist activity or purpose and whether there was prior planning or guidance."
Israel described the incident as an "attempted terrorist attack" without waiting for the investigation to be completed. Flydubai also suspended its flights to and from Tel Aviv following the incident.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that the attacker, who was stated to be an Omani citizen, was, in his words, "subject to extremist ideological indoctrination." However, Netanyahu did not rule out the possibility that the attacker had psychological problems.
PASSENGER CORRECTED THE ROUTE
The Israeli press gave wide coverage to the story of Yaniv Hayoun, one of the passengers who entered the cockpit during the incident.
Hayoun, who is said to be a plumber, said that after removing the attacker from the cockpit, he held the control handle of the plane and managed to correct the flight line of the plane by using what he saw on television programs.
The investigation into the exact cause of the incident and whether the attack is linked to any organization, state or terrorist activity is ongoing.
