Indian pilot's ‘muscle memory’ helped him avert flydubai tragedy after being stabbed, says friend

Indian pilot Smit Machchhar was injured after being stabbed by his co-pilot on a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Machchhar showed "extraordinary bravery" by fighting back despite being wounded, and managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to overpower the attacker. This prevented a "catastrophic mid-air disaster", Netanyahu said.

The flight, which had 174 passengers, mostly Israeli, suddenly lost 17,000 feet of altitude in a minute, prompting passengers to rush the cockpit. Israeli officials called the incident an "attempted terrorist attack".

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Machchhar's actions, saying he showed "immense courage" and "an unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others". Modi added that Machchhar's valour helped save hundreds of lives and avert a great tragedy. The Indian government is providing assistance to Machchhar and his family.

Brief written by urgent.news from Hindustan Times, Dawn, Free Press Journal, Free Malaysia Today, South China Morning Post — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.