flydubai pilot reveals what happened in cockpit: ‘I couldn’t let everybody else die’

Captain Smit Machchhar, the flydubai pilot injured during a cockpit altercation on a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight, has described for the first time how he fought to regain control of the aircraft while wounded.

Speaking to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a 10-minute video call on Friday, Machchhar said he was fighting for his life when he realised the aircraft was descending and that he had to act. Read the full copy here.

“In that moment, I was fighting for my life,” Machchhar told Modi. “Because I had fallen down… I was so severely wounded that I had fallen down… at that time, I was thinking what if I don’t get up?”

He mentioned that his 17 years of aviation experience enabled him to comprehend the situation even while lying on the cockpit floor. "I have been a pilot for 17 years and a captain for the past 11 years. I can intuitively understand the aircraft's condition even without seeing it. While I was down, I could sense the aircraft was descending," Machchhar stated.

Machchhar said he realised that if he did not act, everyone aboard could be in danger.

“And I knew in that moment – one last push, Smit! Just do it. The door is right there,” he told Modi.

“And even at that time, he was beating me up.”

Machchhar said he then managed to open the cockpit door.

“And then I just opened it… and then everybody came,” he said, referring to passengers and crew who rushed into the cockpit and restrained the attacker.

“I was doing this for my life, but at the same time, I knew that I couldn’t let everybody else die.”

Machchhar also stressed that others played an important role in bringing the situation under control.

“Everyone else played an equal role,” he said.

The incident unfolded on flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 was carrying 174 passengers and eight crew members.

During the flight, an altercation reportedly occurred in the cockpit. Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft transmitting the emergency code 7700, followed seven minutes later by 7500, the internationally recognised transponder code for unlawful interference.

The aircraft then lost more than 14,000 feet in about 29 seconds, according to flight-tracking data.

According to media reports, the captain was injured during the confrontation, after which the cockpit door was opened, allowing passengers and crew to enter and help restrain the attacker.

Two off-duty flydubai pilots travelling on the aircraft then helped secure the aircraft and land it safely at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

flydubai has described the incident as an “altercation” in the flight deck and has urged against premature speculation while authorities investigate.

The aircraft was successfully secured by on-duty flydubai crew travelling on the flight, who diverted and landed the aircraft safely at Tabuk Airport (TUU). All passengers and crew are safe and accounted for,” the airline added.

Machchhar told Modi that he recites the Hanuman Chalisa, a devotional prayer, when he is afraid or in pain.

“Whenever I feel pain, I chant the Hanuman Chalisa. I was chanting it at that time too. And I know that God saved me,” he said.

He added that he recites the prayer to his two-year-old son every morning.

During the call, Modi praised Machchhar for continuing to respond despite his injuries.

“Your courage, patience, and presence of mind” saved so many lives, Modi told him.

“Had this not happened, who knows what India would have had to face, what all Indian pilots would have had to endure, and how Indian pilots would have been viewed. You have saved everyone. You have done a very big thing,” Modi said.

Modi also told Machchhar that he had accomplished “a monumental task”.

“Today, every fellow citizen and people across the world are eager to see you and speak with you,” he said.

Machchhar’s actions have drawn praise from political leaders and officials in India, Israel and the United States.

US President Donald Trump described the Indian captain as a hero and praised his decision to open the cockpit door despite being seriously injured.

“The pilot was in very bad shape. But in a way, he was a hero to open the door,” Trump said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also praised Machchhar, saying: “My salute to the Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his extraordinary bravery.”

Netanyahu said the captain’s actions helped prevent a catastrophic mid-air incident.

India’s President Droupadi Murmu praised Machchhar’s “incredible presence of mind” and “indomitable spirit”.

India’s Ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra said Machchhar and those who intervened had turned an “unthinkable tragedy into a safe landing”.

The Indian Embassy in Israel also praised the pilot’s “remarkable courage, composure and devotion to duty”, while Israel’s ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, praised the actions of Machchhar, the passengers and crew who intervened.

Machchhar was initially treated in Tabuk after the emergency landing and later returned to the UAE for further medical care.

Indian Ambassador to the UAE Deepak Mittal visited Machchhar and his family at the hospital and said the pilot was recovering well.

“He was speaking openly, smiling and laughing, which was a great relief for us and, above all, for his family,” Mittal said.

The Indian Embassy and Consulate have said they remain in contact with UAE authorities regarding his medical care and recovery.

Investigations into the cockpit incident are continuing in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Israel.

The UAE has launched a judicial investigation, while the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority is examining the operational and security aspects of the incident.

Saudi Arabia has released a preliminary finding that the first officer assaulted the captain, injuring both pilots. The finding does not establish a motive for the confrontation.

flydubai has urged against premature speculation while authorities work to establish the full circumstances of the cockpit altercation.