Emergency landing in Saudi Arabia: Indian pilot describes cockpit attack

Emergency landing in Saudi Arabia: “If I don’t show courage, 170 passengers will die”

The co-pilot from Oman attacked him with a knife: Despite serious injuries, the Indian captain of the FlyDubai plane resisted - and thus probably prevented a catastrophe. Now Smit Machchhar has described the attack.

With his head bandaged, Smit Machchhar looks into the camera. The Indian captain of the FlyDubai plane spoke to India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a video call on Friday. In it he described how he experienced the violent act on the plane on Wednesday on the way to Tel Aviv.

Accordingly, he was lying in the cockpit and was still attacked by his co-pilot when he noticed that the plane was descending. "I was lying injured on the floor, but I told myself I had to mobilize all my strength again to open the door from the inside," he said. With this step, Machchhar probably averted the catastrophe. »I was fighting for my life. At that moment I realized: If I don't show courage, 170 passengers will die," he continued.

The Emirati flight FlyDubai was en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday when the altercation occurred in the cockpit. Israel's government assumes an attempted jihadist terrorist attack - but important questions remain unanswered. What is clear, however, is that Machchhar gave the passengers on board access to the cockpit from Oman. So she was able to overpower the attacker. Shortly afterwards, the plane made an emergency landing at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.

“The others came in and also helped to bring the situation under control,” said Machchhar in the conversation with Modi. "Of course I was fighting for my own life, but at the same time I knew that I would not allow others to die," he added. The Indian Prime Minister's Office released a recording of the phone call. Modi praised Machchhar's courage and wished him a speedy recovery in the conversation.

Netanyahu praises Machchhar as a hero

The pilot was initially treated in Saudi Arabia after the emergency landing, but has since been flown to Abu Dhabi and is currently in hospital. His condition is reportedly stable. "I don't just look at this injury as a wound because that would make my recovery even more difficult," Machchhar said in the phone call. »I see it as a path that I take step by step. It will take time, but I am confident that I will recover and get fit and healthy again.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Modi had previously praised the fearlessness of the pilot who was allegedly attacked by his colleague. “He is a true hero,” said Netanyahu on the X platform on Thursday evening. Despite serious stab wounds, the Indian captain resisted, opened the cockpit door and allowed passengers to overpower the attacker. Modi wrote on X that India was proud of the pilot.