'The last push, Smit': FlyDubai captain Smit Machchhar recounts harrowing cockpit attack
FlyDubai captain Smit Machchhar recounted the harrowing moments when he was allegedly attacked by his co-pilot during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv this week, telling Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he knew he had to act to save the passengers aboard the plane.
The captain spoke with Modi in Hindi in a video call released Friday by the prime minister's office.
Machchhar, who was seriously injured in the incident, said he realized he was not only fighting to save his own life but also the lives of everyone on the plane.
"When I was lying on the floor, I could feel that the aircraft was plunging and I said to myself while I was getting beaten, 'This is the last push, Smit, do it, the door is right there,'" Machchhar said.
"Somehow, I opened the door, and everyone came in and everyone else had an equal role in the rescue," he said. "I was trying to save myself, but I also knew that I can't let anyone die."
The flight plunged thousands of feet during the incident before Machchhar, who has been flying for 17 years and had been a captain for 11 years, managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to intervene.
The plane was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it made an emergency landing.
"I was fighting for my life in that moment," Machchhar said, describing the attack. "It was a moment when I thought, because I had fallen on the floor, I was wounded and fell down."
He said his experience as a pilot helped him understand what was happening even while he was injured.
"Even if I shut my eyes, I can tell what is happening inside a plane," he said.
During the call, Modi asked Machchhar how he was feeling.
"I am fine and everything is all right," Machchhar replied.
Modi praised Machchhar for his courage, patience and presence of mind, saying he had made a split-second decision that saved the lives of many people.
Machchhar has been recovering after receiving initial treatment in Tabuk and being transferred to Abu Dhabi for continued medical care.
The captain's uncle, Kishorbhai Machchhar, told ABC News on Friday that the family still cannot believe how Smit managed to stay so calm and focused.
"I cannot express how he has handled all this, such a bad situation," he told.
Kishorbhai Machchhar called it "a miracle."
The uncle said that Machchhar lives in Dubai with his wife and two children and said there are a lot of pilots in this family. Two of the captain's cousins are pilots and another family member is studying aviation, according to Kishorbhai Machchhar.
Meanwhile, FlyDubai announced on Friday that it has "temporarily suspended operations to Tel Aviv until further notice."
"Our teams are working around the clock to support disrupted passengers and help them reach their final destinations," Ghaith Al Ghaith, the airline's CEO, said in a statement.
"I know there are many questions about what happened on board FZ 1073. A full official investigation, led by the relevant authorities and fully supported by FlyDubai, is underway. It is important that we allow this process to establish the facts," he added
Al Ghaith said all 172 passengers and crew "are safe and being cared for." He expressed "deep gratitude" to Capt. Machchhar.
ABC News' Victoria Beaule contributed to this report.
