Heroic Indian Flydubai pilot for the first time revealed what happened in the cockpit on the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv

According to Machhar, he was lying on the floor, injured, while the co-pilot continued to attack him. At the same time, the captain understood that the plane was rapidly losing altitude and something had to be done.

"I was lying on the floor injured, but I told myself that I had to make one last effort and open the door from the inside so that other people could enter the cockpit and also help bring the situation under control. Of course, I was fighting for my own life, but at the same time I understood that I would not allow others to die," the pilot said.

Passengers who entered the cockpit to neutralize the attacker saw Machhar on the floor in a pool of blood. Later, an Israeli doctor who provided first aid on board, confirmed that the pilot had lost a lot of blood.

Passengers and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called his attempt to reach the door unlock button in such a state a heroic act. Narendra Modi told the captain that his courage, endurance, and ability to make quick decisions helped save many lives.

The Indian Embassy in the UAE reported that Machhar is feeling well and is successfully recovering. The pilot himself said that he tries not to perceive his injury as just an injury, as this would complicate recovery. He called rehabilitation a path that requires time but stated that he is confident in his recovery.

The incident on board the Dubai — Tel Aviv flight occurred on September 30. Approximately two hours after the start of the flight, the plane sharply lost more than 17,000 feet, or about 5.2 kilometers, in altitude.

One of the passengers, who was going to the toilet with her little daughter, heard a noise in the cockpit and drew the attention of other passengers and crew members to it. Soon it became clear that a struggle was taking place in the cockpit.

Passengers tried to enter the cockpit, but initially failed. After the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the cockpit access procedure was changed so that the door could only be opened from the inside.

As the plane continued to lose altitude, the door suddenly opened. Several Israeli passengers managed to neutralize the co-pilot, who attacked the captain with a knife and, according to eyewitnesses, tried to damage the aircraft's control panel.

After this, passengers, together with a pilot who was on board, managed to stabilize the aircraft and land it at Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia. The injured Machhar was first taken to Tabuk hospital and then transferred by medical flight to Abu Dhabi.

Passenger Yaniv Hayut, who was the first to enter the cockpit, said that as he entered, it seemed to him that he pushed the captain, who was lying on the floor, with the door. After that, it became clear that it was likely the injured pilot who managed to reach the door's unlock button.

Israeli authorities call what happened an attempt to hijack the plane with the aim of crashing it. The attacker, who turned out to be a citizen and native of Oman, is under investigation.

Captain Smith Machhar grew up in Mumbai, where his parents still live. He has about 15 years of experience in aviation and has flown almost 9,750 hours, more than 6,400 of which were as an aircraft commander.

Machhar did not immediately enter aviation. After school, he studied textile manufacturing technology, planning to continue the family business, and then studied management at an institute in Mumbai. Around the age of 19, he attended an aviation seminar and became interested in flying.

Later, Machhar trained in New Zealand and began working for the Indian airline SpiceJet. There he became a Captain Instructor, involved in training young pilots. He worked at SpiceJet for 11 years, and in 2022, he moved to Flydubai.

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