‘One last fight left in me’: Smit Machchhar details cockpit attack, fight to open door
Indian pilot Smit Machchhar, who endured a violent assault by his Omani co-pilot during a Flydubai flight on September 30, detailed the harrowing incident during a phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Recovering in an Abu Dhabi hospital, Machchhar recounted how he fought through blurred vision and disorientation to unlock the cockpit door from within, enabling crew members to intervene.
The Omani pilot initially wanted to pray, but the captain started hitting him from behind. Machchhar tried to stop the attacker, but his vision was severely blurred, and he felt the aircraft sharply dropping. Despite the disorientation, he managed to open the door, allowing the crew to regain control and land the plane safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
The UAE, Israel, and India are investigating the incident, with Netanyahu describing the co-pilot as a "hero."
Written by urgent.news from The Indian Express - India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 2 other outlets
- 'He prayed before attack': Machchhar tells Netanyahu chilling flydubai cockpit ordeal timesofindia.indiatimes.com
- ‘One last fight left in me’: Smit Machchhar details cockpit attack, fight to open door indianexpress.com
