Captain Smit Machchhar recalls the cockpit attack on a flydubai flight, describing how he fought back despite serious injuries to save passengers….reports Asian Lite News Desk
Captain Smit Machchhar has recalled the terrifying cockpit attack on a flydubai aircraft bound for Israel, describing how he fought back after his co-pilot allegedly attacked him. Despite suffering serious injuries and struggling to see, Machchhar said he made one final attempt to reach the cockpit door and prevent the aircraft from going down.
The pilot recounted the incident during a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who invited him and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to light a celebratory flame at Israel’s next Independence Day ceremony.
Machchhar said the flight had initially been routine, with the co-pilot telling him he wanted to pray. He said he looked towards the front of the cockpit out of respect and had no reason to suspect that anything was wrong.
“While he was praying, out of respect, I was looking at the front and not at the back, and suddenly, after about four to five minutes, there was a big blow to the back of my head.”
He initially believed the aircraft itself had suffered serious damage.
“My first thought was that there was catastrophic damage to the aircraft, that something is not right … but after that the blows kept coming, one after the other and that’s when I realised that it’s not the aircraft, it’s the other guy who is in the cockpit with me,” he said.
Machchhar said he tried to stop the attacker, but the initial blows left his vision severely blurred.
“I did try and stop him, but because of his initial blows, my vision was almost like nothing, and I was completely blurred out,” he said.
“And at that point, the next feeling I had was that the aircraft was sharply going down,” he said. “My memory is still in bits and pieces right now, but this is what I remember out of that time.”
What happened during the Captain Smit Machchhar cockpit attack?
Machchhar said he managed to open the cockpit door once during the struggle but believed it was subsequently closed again by the co-pilot.
“I did try and manage to open the door once, but I think he shut it back closed. And at this point, I remember, I was lying down on the cockpit floor, and I felt the aircraft and the whooshing sound and people screaming,” he said.
It was then that Machchhar realised he had one final opportunity to stop the aircraft from going down.
“And as I was telling the Ambassador here, I had that one last fight left in me… Call it personal or call it for people, I did it because if I didn’t do it, I was going to die, and that’s when I pushed against everything… I gave everything that I had and went for the door and opened the door.”
He said passengers then intervened and took control.
“And thankfully, people were waiting to pounce back … took over control and the rest is what you know,” he said.
The conversation was reported by IANS.
How did Netanyahu respond to Machchhar’s actions?
Netanyahu praised Machchhar’s courage and judgment during what he described as impossible circumstances.
“I’m amazed at your courage, at your coolness of judgment under impossible conditions,” the Israeli Prime Minister said, calling the pilot’s actions remarkable and saying they bordered on the miraculous.
Netanyahu said Machchhar had saved not only the lives of those on board but also represented a wider message about courage in the face of violence.
“You saved so many souls. I think you saved something bigger. You saved the spirit of the world to realise that a brave pilot and brave passengers can overcome this evil, however threatening, however violent. It’s something that is being justly hailed around the world,” Netanyahu said.
“You’re a hero of Israel. You’re a hero of India. You’re a hero of the entire world,” he added.
Netanyahu also sent his wishes to Machchhar’s family and urged him to recover quickly.
“Please also pass the best regards from me and my wife to your wife. I know you have a family and know that you’re part of the family of nations. You’re part of the family of nations and a heroic part. Please get well as soon as you can,” he said.
He again invited Machchhar to Israel, describing his expected visit as memorable and historic.
The conversation came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Machchhar by telephone and praised his actions during the incident. Modi said the pilot had shown “immense courage and unwavering resolve” while protecting the lives of others despite suffering serious injuries.
