Injured Pilot Reopens Cockpit Door To Save 174 Passengers After Mid-Air Attack
A pilot’s determination to regain control of a plunging aircraft after being seriously injured has turned a mid-air attack into a remarkable story of courage and quick thinking.
An injured Indian pilot has recounted how he forced himself back to the cockpit after an alleged attack by his co-pilot, helping prevent disaster as their aircraft plunged thousands of feet.
Captain Smit Machchhar shared the dramatic account with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a video call from his hospital bed on Friday.
“I was trying to save my own life, but I knew I could not let all those people die,” Machchhar told Modi.
The incident occurred on Wednesday aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 carrying 174 passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
According to Machchhar, he was left seriously injured during the alleged attack and was lying on the cockpit floor when he realised the aircraft was rapidly losing altitude.
Drawing on 17 years of aviation experience, he recognised the danger and summoned what he described as his “last push” to open the cockpit door.
Passengers and crew members entered and helped overpower the co-pilot, while two off-duty pilots travelling on the aircraft also assisted in regaining control.
The aircraft, which reportedly lost about 17,000 feet during the incident, was diverted to Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia, where it made an emergency landing.
Machchhar received initial treatment in Saudi Arabia before being transferred to Abu Dhabi, where he remains in recovery.
His account has highlighted the critical role played by passengers, crew members and fellow pilots in bringing the aircraft under control during the emergency.
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