‘I was fighting for my life’: Pilot hailed as hero recalls FlyDubai cockpit attack
The pilot said he fought for his life after his co-pilot stabbed him.
Indian airline captain Smit Machchhar, recovering from injuries sustained during a FlyDubai cockpit attack, has described how he fought for his life as his co-pilot stabbed him. The incident occurred on a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, carrying 182 passengers, which was later diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia for an emergency landing.
Machchhar, now recovering in an Abu Dhabi hospital, recounted to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi via a televised video call that he had sustained multiple wounds and fallen during the attack. He emphasized that he fought for his life and the lives of passengers, stating, "I was fighting for my life. At one point, I realized that if I didn’t get up… then passengers would lose their lives."
Written by urgent.news from ABC News (US)'s reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 10 other outlets
- Flydubai 'hero' pilot says praying gave him courage abc.net.au
- 'No mental capacity to react': Flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar's wife recalls shock timesofindia.indiatimes.com
- ‘I couldn’t let everybody else die,’ says hero Flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar peopledaily.digital
- 'Prepared ourselves for the worst': FlyDubai passenger recounts moments during cockpit attack cbc.ca
- FlyDubai pilot on cockpit attack: 'I was fighting for my life' thehill.com
- Was chanting 'Hanuman Chalisa': Pilot Machchhar recounts cockpit fightback to Modi iol.co.za
- Flydubai pilot 'could not let people die' as he describes fight to open cockpit door news.sky.com
- Flydubai pilot says he could not let passengers die rte.ie
- and 2 more
