Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke via video call with Captain Smit Machchhar, praising him for his exceptional courage and presence of mind in averting a catastrophic 9/11-style disaster. Captain Machchhar was seriously injured when his co-pilot, an Omani national, unexpectedly stabbed him and attempted to crash a flydubai flight traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
The horrifying mid-air struggle occurred as the Boeing 737 Max plummeted nearly 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds with over 170 passengers and crew members on board. Alert passengers and crew rushed into the cockpit after hearing noises to overpower the attacker. Meanwhile, a second pair of flydubai pilots onboard successfully landed the aircraft in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
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Speaking from his hospital bed, Captain Machchhar recounted the harrowing ordeal to Prime Minister Modi. With 17 years of flying experience and 11 years as a captain, Machchhar stated that he could feel the aircraft plummeting even when he had collapsed from severe wounds. Driven by the resolve that he “could not let all those people die,” he managed a final push to open the cockpit door so passengers and crew could rescue him.
During the conversation, Captain Machchhar shared that he coped with the excruciating pain and fear by reciting the ‘Hanuman Chalisa,’ a devotional hymn he also shares with his two-year-old son every morning. Prime Minister Modi commended the pilot, who hails from Gujarat, noting that 140 crore Indians feel honored by his bravery. Modi emphasized that his heroic actions saved countless lives and protected the reputation of Indian pilots globally.
