{
  "id": 11398871,
  "title": "Indian pilot tells PM Modi he opened flydubai cockpit door during attack",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/indian-pilot-tells-pm-modi-he-opened-flydubai-cockpit-door-during",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-02T08:46:31.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Al-Monitor",
    "slug": "al-monitor",
    "url": "https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/10/indian-pilot-tells-pm-modi-he-opened-flydubai-cockpit-door-during-attack"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar was attacked by his co-pilot during a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The co-pilot, who was reportedly an Omani national, stabbed Captain Machchhar and attempted to crash the plane. Despite his injuries, Captain Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to intervene and overpower the attacker.\n\nAccording to Captain Machchhar's account, he was lying on the floor injured and being attacked when he realized the plane was sinking and he had to act. He said he made a \"last push\" to open the door from inside, and others came in to help control the situation. The plane had plunged over 17,000 feet before passengers and crew retook control and made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.\n\nCaptain Machchhar has been praised for his bravery by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Modi said Captain Machchhar's actions helped avert a tragedy on the scale of the 9/11 attacks, and that 140 crore Indians salute the captain and pray for his well-being. Captain Machchhar is currently recovering in a hospital in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and is reported to be in stable condition.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 7,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Hindustan Times",
        "title": "PM Modi speaks to Indian pilot Smit Machchhar who was stabbed on flydubai plane",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/pm-modi-speaks-to-indian-pilot-smit-machchhar-who-was-stabbed-on",
        "published": "2026-10-02T05:54:29.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BBC News",
        "title": "I opened cockpit door of plane while being attacked, Indian pilot tells Modi",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/i-opened-cockpit-door-of-plane-while-being-attacked-indian-pilot",
        "published": "2026-10-02T07:20:25.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Jerusalem Post",
        "title": "Indian flydubai pilot who opened cockpit door shares story with Prime Minister Narendra Modi",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/indian-flydubai-pilot-who-opened-cockpit-door-shares-story-with-prime",
        "published": "2026-10-02T07:36:53.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Post Nigeria",
        "title": "Dubai-Tel Aviv flight: Indian pilot reveals how he saved passengers after attack",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/dubai-tel-aviv-flight-indian-pilot-reveals-how-he-saved-passengers",
        "published": "2026-10-02T10:22:21.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CBS News",
        "title": "FlyDubai pilot tells his survival story in emotional call with Indian leader",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/flydubai-pilot-tells-his-survival-story-in-emotional-call-with-indian",
        "published": "2026-10-02T10:57:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The New York Times",
        "title": "Indian Pilot Stabbed on FlyDubai Flight Recalls Sudden Attack",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/indian-pilot-stabbed-on-flydubai-flight-recalls-sudden-attack",
        "published": "2026-10-02T11:09:22.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}