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The assault unfolded two hours after takeoff from Dubai on October 1 when the co-pilot, identified by Israeli officials as an Omani national, stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar inside the cockpit of Flydubai Flight FZ1073 and apparently attempted to crash the Boeing 737 MAX carrying 174 passengers and crew. The aircraft plunged more than 17,000 feet in less than two minutes before Machchhar, though seriously wounded, reached the door release mechanism and opened it, allowing other crew members and passengers to enter, restrain the attacker and regain control. The plane was diverted to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia where it landed safely, with the co-pilot taken into custody for interrogation as authorities continued to investigate his motive.
During a video call with Modi the following day, the Mumbai-based captain recounted lying injured on the floor while still under attack yet realising the aircraft was descending rapidly. “I was lying on the floor injured but I told myself to go for one last push to open the door from inside,” he said. “Others came in and also played a role [in controlling the situation]. I was of course fighting for my own life but at the same time I knew I was not going to let others die,” he added, in comments that captured his determination not to allow fellow passengers and crew to perish.
Modi told Machchhar that his courage, patience and quick decision-making had saved so many lives and that the entire country was proud of him, according to a BBC News report from Delhi. The prime minister had earlier posted on social media that the pilot was a hero whose valour helped avert a great tragedy, and he also spoke with the captain’s wife and parents to convey national support. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu separately described Machchhar as a “true hero” on X, stating that despite being stabbed the captain fought back, opened the cockpit door and enabled others to overpower the attacker, thereby preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster.[[1]](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c639m98gde00o)
Machchhar, a 39-year-old father of two who joined Flydubai in 2022 after flying with SpiceJet, was initially hospitalised in Tabuk where medical staff stabilised his condition after heavy bleeding from multiple stab wounds, CNN reported. Passenger Shota Musayev, a dentist who rushed to the cockpit after hearing screams, helped stop the bleeding and later told The Associated Press that the captain kept praying and expressed his desire to live. “There were moments when I thought we wouldn’t manage to land in time because he was bleeding heavily, but after we stopped the bleeding, his condition stabilized,” Musayev said in the interview.[[2]](https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/01/india/india-captain-smit-machchhar-flydubai-intl-hnk)
The incident has prompted widespread acclaim across India, where Machchhar’s actions recalled other examples of aviation bravery such as Neerja Bhanot’s stand during the 1986 Pan Am hijacking and Captain Devi Sharan’s management of the 1999 Indian Airlines IC-814 crisis, as detailed in a News18 feature comparing sky heroes. US President Donald Trump joined Modi and Netanyahu in hailing the pilot as a hero after discussing the event with the Israeli leader, according to coverage in The Independent. The Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia confirmed that Machchhar remained in stable condition while receiving treatment, with officials monitoring his recovery.
Machchhar revealed to Modi that he drew strength from reciting the Hanuman Chalisa during the ordeal, a detail reported across Indian outlets including The Economic Times and India Today. He also told the prime minister that with 17 years of flying experience, including 11 as a captain, he understood the aircraft’s behaviour even while injured and knew immediate action was required. The event underscored vulnerabilities in commercial aviation despite post-9/11 cockpit security protocols, yet in this case the decision to open the door proved decisive in saving everyone aboard.
