Flydubai Pilot Recounts Midair Cockpit Attack In Video Call With Modi

The captain of a Flydubai flight recounted how he prevented a crash after his co-pilot stabbed him during a flight toward Tel Aviv on Wednesday. Capt. Smit Machchhar described the incident during a video call on Friday with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Speaking from a hospital bed, Machchhar explained that he forced himself to reach the cockpit door despite severe injuries.

Machchhar said his co-pilot attacked him and placed the Boeing 737 into a steep descent. He said he collapsed to the floor but recognized that the aircraft was plummeting rapidly. The captain said he realized the passengers would die if he did not get up.

Machchhar said he used a final push of strength to release the cockpit door lock. Passengers and crew members then rushed inside to overpower the attacker. Off-duty airline pilots who were traveling as passengers took the controls and landed the plane safely in Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia.

Modi told Machchhar that his actions averted a major disaster and praised his courage on behalf of the nation. Machchhar, who has 17 years of flying experience, said his background gave him the awareness needed to react during the crisis. He said he also relied on personal religious prayers during the ordeal to maintain his composure.

Flydubai Flight FZ1073 had departed Dubai for Tel Aviv carrying 174 passengers when the struggle broke out. Israeli officials said the airliner lost thousands of feet of altitude in seconds before crew members regained control. Saudi security forces detained the Omani co-pilot upon landing and placed him under interrogation.

Officials in Israel and the United Arab Emirates said investigators are coordinating with regional authorities to determine the motive behind the attack. Machchhar remains hospitalized under medical care while recovering from his wounds.