Indian flydubai captain Smit Machchhar says he made a desperate “last push” to open the cockpit door after an alleged attack by his co-pilot, knowing the lives of 174 passengers were at risk.
Machchhar, speaking from his hospital bed during a call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, said he was badly injured when he realised the aircraft was losing altitude.
“I was trying to save my own life, but I knew I could not let all those people die,” Machchhar said.
The Boeing 737 was flying to Tel Aviv from Dubai when the confrontation occurred on Wednesday. The circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.
Machchhar, who has 17 years of aviation experience, including 11 years as a captain, said he had collapsed from his injuries when he sensed the aircraft was going down.
“I knew this was the last push, that the door was right there,” he said.
Despite allegedly being attacked at the time, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to enter and assist.
Passengers rushed to cockpit
Passengers reportedly rushed towards the cockpit and became involved in a struggle for control of the aircraft after it suddenly lost around 17,000 feet of altitude within a minute, according to Flightradar24.
The aircraft eventually made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
Machchhar also told Modi that he recited a Hindu devotional prayer dedicated to Hanuman during the ordeal.
“I know God himself saved me,” he said.
Modi praises injured captain
Modi told Machchhar that his actions had helped save lives and prevent what he described as “a great tragedy”.
“You have truly made the whole country proud,” Modi said during the call.
Machchhar became emotional and said he felt proud of himself for the first time since the incident.
The captain, whose head was wrapped in bandages and who had a breathing tube in his nose, said he remained confident about his recovery.
“I am not thinking of it as a wound; I am thinking of it as a journey,” he said.
“And it will take time, but I am very, very confident that I will recover.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier credited Machchhar and the passengers with helping to avert a catastrophe.
