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hailed as hero recalls flydubai cockpit attack   Smit Machchhar says in video call with Indian PM that he realised if he did not get up ‘passengers would lose their lives’         (https://www.theguardian.com/profile/william-christou) William Christou   Fri 2 Oct 2026 04.39 EDT  Last modified on Fri 2 Oct 2026 08.17 EDT   (mailto:?subject=‘I was fighting for my life’: Indian pilot hailed as hero recalls flydubai cockpit attack&body=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/02/indian-pilot-smit-machchhar-recalls-flydubai-cockpit-attack?CMP=share_btn_url) Share          (https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=theguardian.com) Prefer the Guardian on Google          The Indian pilot who helped thwart an (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/01/hero-pilot-stabbed-flydubai-plane-flight-israel) apparent attempt to crash a flydubai flight to Tel Aviv said his faith and his desire to save his passengers allowed him to make a “last push” to open the cockpit door as he fought his life. Capt Smit Machchhar, who was recovering in an Abu Dhabi hospital, described to India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, how he helped save the plane and its more than 170 passengers.  “I had suffered so many injuries that I had collapsed. At that time, I could feel that the aircraft was going down. I knew this was the last push,” Machchhar told Modi in a video call on Friday. “I was fighting for my life. At one point, I realised that if I didn’t get up … then passengers would lose their lives.” His Omani co-pilot apparently stabbed him and set the plane on a steep descent, with the aircraft plummeting about 17,000 feet in the span of a minute. While still being attacked, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to enter, subdue the attacker and ultimately stabilise the plane. The full circumstances of the attack are still under investigation, but a relief crew on the flight helped land the plane safely in Tabouk, north-west (https://www.theguardian.com/world/saudiarabia) Saudi Arabia . Saudi authorities arrested the co-pilot and have since interrogated him. Machchhar, a father of two, was seriously injured during the attack, but credited his 17 years of aviation experience with giving him the wherewithal to understand the gravity of the situation. Modi praised the captain for his actions, which he said helped prevent a “great tragedy.” “You have done such a great thing that people across the country and around the world are eager to see you and speak to you,” Modi told him. “You have truly made the whole country proud.” The motives and affiliation of the apparent attacker are still unknown, but Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said that an initial background investigation indicated he had undergone (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/01/netanyahu-flydubai-halts-all-flights-to-israel) “Islamic radical indoctrination” . The attacker is to be sent back to the (https://www.theguardian.com/world/united-arab-emirates) United Arab Emirates , where Emirati investigators will work to establish any links with terror organisations. Netanyahu said Israel would cooperate with the UAE on the investigation. Machchhar was hailed as a hero by world leaders, who said his actions had helped prevent a great disaster and save many lives. The pilot said that during the difficult moments he recited the Hanuman Chalisa, a devotional hymn dedicated to the Hindu deity Hanuman and traditionally recited as a prayer for strength and courage. “Lord Hanuman gave me courage,” Machchhar told Modi. He added that he felt proud of himself for the first time since the attack. “I am feeling very proud right now. I had not felt proud of myself until now,” he told Modi. “I am not thinking of it as a wound, I am thinking of it as a journey,” he said, while covered in bandages. “And it will take time, but I am very, very confident that I will recover.”         Explore more on these topics (https://www.theguardian.com/world/flydubai-plane-incident) Flydubai plane incident  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/india) India  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/israel) Israel  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/united-arab-emirates) United Arab Emirates  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/saudiarabia) Saudi Arabia  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/air-transport) Air transport  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/middleeast) Middle East and north Africa  (https://www.theguardian.com/tone/news) news    (mailto:?subject=‘I was fighting for my life’: Indian pilot hailed as hero recalls flydubai cockpit attack&body=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/02/indian-pilot-smit-machchhar-recalls-flydubai-cockpit-attack?CMP=share_btn_url) Share     (https://syndication.theguardian.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fworld%2F2026%2Foct%2F02%2Findian-pilot-smit-machchhar-recalls-flydubai-cockpit-attack&type=article&internalpagecode=world/2026/oct/02/indian-pilot-smit-machchhar-recalls-flydubai-cockpit-attack) (Reuse this content) Reuse this content                  More on this story                       More on this story                      (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/01/netanyahu-flydubai-halts-all-flights-to-israel)    ()      Co-pilot in flight stabbing had ‘Islamic radical indoctrination’, says Netanyahu   (Thursday, October 1, 2026 at 12:04 PM Eastern Daylight Time) 21h ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/oct/01/flydubai-stabbing-cockpit-security-fz-1073)    ()      Should cockpits stay locked from the inside? Flydubai stabbing raises flight security questions   (Thursday, October 1, 2026 at 08:04 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 1d ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/01/australian-couple-on-flydubai-plane-to-israel-ntwnfb)    ()      Australian couple on plane diverted after flydubai co-pilot’s alleged attack on pilot    (Thursday, October 1, 2026 at 03:55 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 1d ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/01/hero-pilot-stabbed-flydubai-plane-flight-israel)    ()      ‘Hero’ pilot, plumber and dentist among those who saved flydubai flight to Israel   (Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at 10:56 PM Eastern Daylight Time) 1d ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/30/israel-bound-passenger-plane-emergency-landing-saudi-arabia-pilots-feud)    ()      Co-pilot who stabbed pilot on Israel-bound plane may have tried to crash it, says Netanyahu   (Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at 06:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time) 2d ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/30/whoever-is-hearing-me-we-need-help-how-flight-1073-survived-its-5000-metre-plunge)    ()      ‘Whoever is hearing me, we need help’: how flight 1073 survived its 17,000ft plunge   (Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at 01:47 PM Eastern Daylight Time) 2d ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/sep/30/dubai-israel-saudi-arabia-flydubai-flight-diversion-pilots-fight-latest-news-updates)    ()      Netanyahu says pilot arrested after stabbing fellow pilot and apparently trying to crash Israel-bound plane – as it happened   (Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at 12:26 PM Eastern Daylight Time) 2d ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/30/what-we-know-alleged-stabbing-pilot-copilot-flight-israel)    ()      What we know so far about alleged stabbing of pilot by co-pilot on flight to Israel   (Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at 11:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 2d ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2026/sep/30/mother-of-passenger-on-israel-bound-flight-describes-incident-video)    ()      Mother of passenger on Israel-bound flight describes incident – video   (Wednesday, September 30, 2026 at 10:16 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 2d ago                        Most viewed      Most viewed                                                               (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news) US news  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/us-politics) US politics  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/us-midterm-elections-2026) Midterms 2026  (https://www.theguardian.com/world) World  (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-crisis) Climate crisis  (https://www.theguardian.com/world/middleeast) Middle East   (https://www.theguardian.com/world/ukraine) Ukraine  (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/usimmigration) US immigration  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/soccer) Soccer  (https://www.theguardian.com/us/business) Business  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