{
  "id": 11434205,
  "title": "‘I was not going to let others die’: Flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar’s desperate push to open cockpit door",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/i-was-not-going-to-let-others-die-flydubai-pilot-smit-machchhars",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-02T12:08:36.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/world/flydubai-fz1073-cockpit-attack-indian-pilot-smit-machchhar-pm-modi-call-10903839/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Indian pilot Smit Machchhar, who was injured during a suspected hijacking attempt on a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, recounted his desperate struggle to open the cockpit door and prevent others from dying. On Friday, Machchhar spoke via video call to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the incident, which unfolded mid-air during Flydubai FZ1073. He stated that he was injured and lying on the floor but decided to make one final effort to open the door, acting to save other lives as the aircraft plummeted nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 9,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Economic Times",
        "title": "PM Modi speaks to injured pilot Smit Machchhar",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/pm-modi-speaks-to-injured-pilot-smit-machchhar",
        "published": "2026-10-02T06:19:34.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "NDTV - India News",
        "title": "'I Was Injured But Couldn't Let Passengers Die': Captain Smit Machchhar To PM Modi",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/i-was-injured-but-couldnt-let-passengers-die-captain-smit-machchhar",
        "published": "2026-10-02T07:00:53.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Hindu",
        "title": "PM Modi speaks to flydubai pilot Captain Smit Machchaar",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/pm-modi-speaks-to-flydubai-pilot-captain-smit-machchaar",
        "published": "2026-10-02T07:37:12.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Press Journal",
        "title": "‘Son Of Mumbai’: Milind Deora Urges Ashoka Chakra For Flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/son-of-mumbai-milind-deora-urges-ashoka-chakra-for-flydubai-captain",
        "published": "2026-10-02T10:11:58.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express - India",
        "title": "‘Told myself, this will be last push’: Smit Machchhar to PM on flydubai cockpit fight",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/told-myself-this-will-be-last-push-smit-machchhar-to-pm-on-flydubai",
        "published": "2026-10-02T10:17:03.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Gulf News",
        "title": "‘Our hero’: India rallies behind flydubai Captain Smit after cockpit attack",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/our-hero-india-rallies-behind-flydubai-captain-smit-after-cockpit",
        "published": "2026-10-02T10:56:46.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Hindustan Times",
        "title": "Pilots’ body urges PM Modi to give flydubai captain Smit Machchhar a bravery award for saving 182 lives",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/pilots-body-urges-pm-modi-to-give-flydubai-captain-smit-machchhar-a",
        "published": "2026-10-02T10:58:01.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "ABC News (US)",
        "title": "'The last push': FlyDubai captain Smit Machchhar recounts harrowing cockpit attack",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/the-last-push-flydubai-captain-smit-machchhar-recounts-harrowing",
        "published": "2026-10-02T11:51:39.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}