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Capt Smit Machchhar told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 2 that he had so many wounds and had fallen down after the attack but realized he had to get up or passengers would lose their lives. “I was fighting for my life,” the Mumbai-based pilot said from his hospital bed in Abu Dhabi with his head bandaged according to video of the conversation broadcast on Indian news channels. Machchhar added that he was lying on the floor injured but told himself to go for one last push to open the door from inside and that he was fighting for his own life but knew he was not going to let others die. Modi praised the captain’s courage patience and presence of mind for saving many lives an Associated Press dispatch reported.
The assault took place two and a half hours into Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30 when the Omani co-pilot stabbed Machchhar and the Boeing 737 descended more than 17,000 feet in under two minutes Israeli authorities told Reuters. Despite his injuries the captain who has 17 years of flying experience and has served as captain for 11 of them managed to unlock the cockpit door allowing passengers and crew to rush in and restrain the attacker according to accounts compiled by the BBC. The plane diverted safely to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia where it landed at 9:45 a.m. local time with all 174 passengers and eight crew members aboard the Saudi Interior Ministry said in a statement.
Passengers described screams blood and desperate chaos as the aircraft plummeted with one traveler filming herself saying in Hebrew she was not going to die and would see her mom an India Today report detailed. Yaniv Hayun told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he entered the cockpit after the door was opened grabbed the attacker put him in a chokehold and pulled him outside as relayed in a BBC article. Another passenger Tzvika Manes recounted hearing his daughter cry that they did not want to die which prompted him to storm forward according to witness statements gathered by Reuters.
Machchhar who has flown with Flydubai for four years after 11 years at SpiceJet was airlifted to Abu Dhabi and remains in stable condition the Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia reported. New video aired by Israel’s Channel 12 showed the bloodied captain lying outside the cockpit saying the co-pilot “hit me so many times” and that he could move his injured hand but could no longer squeeze it shut. A dentist among the passengers rushed forward to provide aid while others called for another pilot as crew members secured the bound co-pilot the footage indicated.
Saudi Arabia’s preliminary investigation found that the pilot was assaulted by his co-pilot resulting in various injuries to both and the pilots were returned to the UAE with an Emirati security team the Interior Ministry stated. The UAE chief prosecutor has launched a probe into the circumstances and motives including whether the incident involved terrorist activity or prior planning according to the state news agency WAM. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed Machchhar as a true hero for his actions that prevented a potential disaster.
Questions have arisen about the co-pilot vetting process and aviation security in the wake of the event an Al Jazeera explainer noted drawing on statements from officials. Machchhar had previously spoken in a 2025 podcast about his approach to flying emphasizing that when wearing the uniform there is no nonsense and the job must be finished. The incident has prompted praise from leaders across the region with both Modi and Netanyahu publicly commending the captain’s response.
