Stabbed Flydubai Captain Recounts Fight to Save 174 Passengers

(MENAFN) Capt. Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot stabbed by his co-pilot on a Flydubai flight, spoke publicly for the first time Friday, saying he was determined not to let passengers and crew die as the plane lost altitude. Injured on the floor and still under attack, he realized the aircraft was descending and made a last effort to open the cockpit door.

“When I fell, I could tell the plane was going down. I told myself to give it one last push to open the door from inside,” Machchhar said during a video call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“I was still getting injured. But I managed to open the door and the others came in, and they also played a big role,” he said.

“I was of course trying to protect myself but at the same time I knew I was not going to let others die,” he added.

Machchhar said his 17 years of flying, 11 as captain, helped him grasp what was happening to the aircraft. “I can tell what is happening to the plane even with my eyes closed,” he said.

Flight FZ1073 was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 174 passengers early Wednesday when an altercation erupted in the cockpit. Two and a half hours in, the plane dropped more than 17,000 feet (5,200 meters) before diverting to Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

Flydubai said an “altercation occurred in the flight deck” and that crew secured the aircraft before a safe landing. The captain and first officer were hospitalized with injuries, and all passengers and crew were reported safe. Modi praised Machchhar's “courage, patience and quick decision-making,” saying his actions saved many lives.

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