04 October,2026 02:41 PM IST | Jerusalem | mid-day online correspondent
Captain Smit Machchhar. Pic/AP
Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot who helped prevent a flydubai aircraft from being taken over during a mid-air attack, has recalled the moments inside the cockpit when he realised that his co-pilot was assaulting him.
Machchhar, who suffered serious injuries in the September 30 incident, described the attack during a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The flight, FZ1073, was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the co-pilot allegedly attacked Machchhar and attempted to take control of the aircraft. UAE authorities have described the incident as an attempted terrorist act and said the co-pilot attacked the captain with an emergency axe. An investigation into the incident is continuing.
Machchhar told Netanyahu that the flight had been proceeding normally before the attack. He said his co-pilot told him that he wanted to pray, and he looked towards the front of the cockpit out of respect.
"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."
The pilot said 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 attempted to fight back but was struggling to see after the initial blows.
"I did try and stop him, but because of his initial blows, my vision was almost like nothing, and I was completely blurred out," Machchhar said.
Machchhar said he then realised that the aircraft was rapidly descending. He said his memory of the incident remained fragmented because of the injuries he suffered.
"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."
The aircraft subsequently descended significantly before the cockpit was brought under control. Reuters reported that the plane plunged nearly 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds during the incident before Machchhar was able to open the cockpit door.
Machchhar said he managed to open the cockpit door once during the struggle, but believed the co-pilot closed it again. He recalled eventually lying on the cockpit floor while hearing the aircraft's movement and passengers screaming.
"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.
The pilot then made another attempt to reach the door despite his injuries.
"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."
"And thankfully, people were waiting to pounce back ... took over control and the rest is what you know," he said.
Passengers and other crew members then intervened, while two pilots travelling on the aircraft helped stabilise the plane. The aircraft was diverted and landed safely at Tabuk in Saudi Arabia.
Netanyahu praised Machchhar for his actions during the attack and said the pilot's decision to reopen the cockpit door had helped save the people on board.
"I'm amazed at your courage, at your coolness of judgment under impossible conditions," the Israeli Prime Minister said, adding that what the Captain did was remarkable and that it bordered on the miraculous.
He said the pilot had saved more than those travelling on the aircraft.
"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 conveyed his wishes to Machchhar's family and asked the pilot to focus on his recovery.
"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.
Netanyahu invited Machchhar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend Israel's next Independence Day ceremony and light a ceremonial flame. The invitation followed Modi's own conversation with the injured pilot on Friday, when the Prime Minister praised Machchhar for his courage and resolve during the incident.
"So we hope to see you very soon in Israel. I look forward to seeing you here again. But under the circumstances, I think this will be a memorable and historic visit."
"Thank you for everything you did," Netanyahu told the pilot.
(With inputs from IANS)
