Captain Smit Machchhar Recalls Fight for Life During FlyDubai Cockpit Attack

Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot hailed as a hero for thwarting a potential crash on a FlyDubai flight, recounted the harrowing minutes after his co-pilot stabbed him and the aircraft began a steep descent.

Speaking from his Abu Dhabi hospital room in a televised video call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Machchhar described fighting for his life amid multiple wounds and a sudden nosedive.

“I had so many wounds. I had fallen down,” Machchhar said, his head bandaged and tubes in his nose, before breaking down recalling the attack. “I was fighting for my life. At one point, I realized that if I didn’t get up … then passengers would lose their lives,” he told Modi.

The Boeing 737, carrying 182 passengers and crew en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was diverted to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia for an emergency landing after the crew subdued the attacker.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the attacker, an Omani national, was arrested in Saudi Arabia and was undergoing interrogation there. The motive for the attack remained unclear.

Modi praised Machchhar’s “courage, patience, and presence of mind,” stating they had saved many lives. Machchhar, a veteran pilot with 17 years of experience and over 9,750 flying hours, credited his training and presence of mind for sensing the aircraft’s descent even after being knocked down.

“I have been flying planes for 17 years and serving as a captain for the last 11 years. I can sense exactly what is happening with the aircraft even with my eyes closed. When I was down, I could feel that the aircraft was plummeting,” he said.

During the crisis, Machchhar recited the Hanuman Chalisa, a Hindu devotional hymn dedicated to Lord Hanuman, traditionally prayed for strength and courage. “Lord Hanuman gave me courage,” he told Modi.

Machchhar, married with two children, has flown for FlyDubai for about four years, previously serving as a senior commander and line training captain at SpiceJet for 11 years. Philip Kean, CEO of Mainland Air, the New Zealand flight school where Machchhar trained, noted that while pilots are taught to handle an incapacitated crew member, the training does not prepare them for a stabbing attack by a colleague.

“I don’t think there’s much in the handbook for being stabbed,” Kean said. “You’re friends and you’re flying together. Nobody would expect … a person to have a go at you like that.”

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