Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a video call on Friday with Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian pilot who successfully averted a potential catastrophe during a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The incident occurred on Wednesday morning when the flight's co-pilot, an Omani national, attacked Captain Machchhar inside the cockpit.
During the struggle, the Boeing 737 Max plummeted nearly 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds. Passengers and crew members, alerted by the commotion, entered the cockpit to subdue the co-pilot. A secondary pair of pilots on board subsequently took control of the aircraft, which was carrying over 170 people, and performed an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Speaking from his hospital bed, Captain Machchhar, a Gujarat native with over 9,750 flying hours, recounted the harrowing experience to the Prime Minister. He described how he struggled to maintain consciousness despite severe injuries. "I had so many wounds that I had collapsed," he said, explaining that he realized the gravity of the situation as the plane began to dive. "I knew this was the last push, that the door was right there," he added, noting that he managed to open the cockpit door to alert the passengers and crew.
Prime Minister Modi praised the pilot for his "courage, patience, and presence of mind," stating that his actions had saved numerous lives. "You sustained such a severe injury and were fighting for life. Yet, even then, you did not care for your life, you cared for the lives of all the passengers," the Prime Minister said. He further remarked that the pilot’s actions prevented a scenario that could have brought significant international scrutiny upon Indian pilots.
During the 10-minute conversation, Captain Machchhar shared that he relied on his faith during the crisis, reciting the Hanuman Chalisa as he fought to regain control of the aircraft. He emphasized that the successful outcome was a collective effort, stating, "Everyone else played an equal role," and reiterated his commitment to his passengers, adding, "I was injured but couldn't let passengers die."