An Indian pilot who was stabbed during a mid-air attack on a Flydubai flight bound for Israel has described how he dragged himself across the cockpit floor to unlock the door and let passengers in, even as the aircraft plunged thousands of feet and his assailant continued to attack him.
Captain Smit Machchhar recounted the harrowing sequence of events during a video call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to details released following the conversation. Lying injured on the cockpit floor, he said he realised the plane was losing altitude rapidly and that he had to act despite his wounds.
"I was lying on the floor injured but I told myself to go for one last push to open the door from inside," Machchhar told Modi. His decision allowed others to enter the cockpit and assist in subduing the attacker, a move that officials and witnesses have credited with preventing a far greater catastrophe.
The incident unfolded on Wednesday, two hours into the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, when a fellow pilot launched an assault inside the cockpit. The attack triggered a dramatic emergency in which the aircraft descended more than 17,000 feet (5,200 metres) before passengers and crew managed to overpower the attacker and regain control of the plane.
The flight was subsequently diverted to Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. The diversion to Tabuk, a city in north-western Saudi Arabia, marked the first stage of what would become a multinational response involving Indian, Israeli, Emirati and Saudi authorities.
Machchhar, who was initially treated at a hospital in Tabuk, was later airlifted to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Medical officials there have reported that he is in a stable condition, and the Indian embassy in the UAE said on Thursday that he was "in good health and recovering well."
Reflecting on his ordeal, the captain struck a philosophical tone. "I am not looking at this wound like a wound because that would make my recovery even more difficult," he said. "I am looking at it as a journey which is slowly going on and will take time but I am confident that the recovery will be there and I will become fit and healthy again."
Ambassador Deepak Mittal, India's top diplomat in the UAE, visited Machchhar and said he was "proud of Capt Smit for his bravery" and "very reassured" to meet him in person. The visit underscored the attention the case has attracted at the highest levels of Indian diplomacy.
Prime Minister Modi praised the captain's conduct during the emergency, telling him that "his courage, patience and quick decision-making saved the lives of so many people." Modi added that the entire country was proud of him, a sentiment that has been echoed widely across Indian media and social platforms since news of the attack emerged.
The pilot has also drawn praise from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who hailed him as a "true hero." The recognition from both Indian and Israeli leaders reflects the international dimensions of the incident, given the flight's origin in Dubai, its intended destination in Israel and its emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
Machchhar's own account emphasised that he was not acting alone. "Others came in and also played a role [in controlling the situation]," he said. "I was of course fighting for my own life but at the same time I knew I was not going to let others die." His words suggest that the successful outcome depended on rapid cooperation between the flight deck and the cabin.
The sequence described by the captain offers a rare window into the chaos that can unfold when an attack occurs inside a cockpit, a confined space where access is normally tightly restricted for security reasons. The fact that the door was opened from within, despite the pilot's injuries, proved pivotal in allowing passengers and crew to intervene.
Aviation safety specialists have long emphasised that the first minutes of any onboard security incident are decisive, and that crew resource management training is designed to prepare flight staff for scenarios in which standard procedures break down. In this case, the captain's decision to prioritise opening the door over his own immediate safety appears to have created the conditions for the attacker to be restrained.
The incident has also renewed attention on cockpit security protocols in commercial aviation, particularly on routes where multiple crew members share flight deck duties. Investigators are expected to examine how the attacker was able to carry out the assault and what security screening measures were in place before departure from Dubai.
For now, the focus remains on Machchhar's recovery and the gratitude expressed by those whose lives were preserved. The Indian embassy's statement that he is recovering well has been welcomed in India, where the captain's story has resonated as an example of composure under extreme pressure.
As the investigation continues, the captain's own framing of his experience may prove as memorable as the events themselves. Rather than dwelling on the violence he endured, he has chosen to describe his recovery as a gradual process that he is confident will end in full health — a perspective that has added to the widespread admiration for his conduct during the attack.
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