Pilot Smit Machchhar Recounts Cockpit Attack on Flydubai Flight

Captain Smit Machchhar, the pilot who fought off an alleged attempt to seize control of a flydubai aircraft bound for Israel, has recounted how he was repeatedly struck by his co-pilot, suffered severe injuries and made one final attempt to reach the cockpit door as the aircraft plunged sharply.

In a first-person account shared during a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Machchhar described the terrifying moments when an apparently routine flight turned into a fight for survival, leaving him barely able to see and struggling to stop the aircraft from going down.

The pilot said he had initially seen nothing unusual. His co-pilot had told him that he wanted to pray, a practice Machchhar described as common among local passengers and crew members.

Out of respect, he turned his attention towards the front of the cockpit, unaware of what was about to happen.

“While he was praying, out of respect, I was looking at the front and not at the back, and suddenly, after about four to five minutes, there was a big blow to the back of my head,” Machchhar said.

The first impact was so unexpected and forceful that he initially feared the aircraft had suffered catastrophic damage. It was only when the blows continued that he realised the threat was coming from inside the cockpit.

“My first thought was that there was catastrophic damage to the aircraft, that something is not right … but after that the blows kept coming, one after the other and that’s when I realised that it’s not the aircraft, it’s the other guy who is in the cockpit with me,” he recalled.

Blows Left Pilot Almost Blind as Aircraft Went Into Sharp Descent

Machchhar said he tried to fight back, but the initial assault had severely affected his vision. He struggled to see clearly and was left disoriented as the attack continued.

“I did try and stop him, but because of his initial blows, my vision was almost like nothing, and I was completely blurred out,” he said.

The situation grew more alarming when he felt the aircraft descending sharply. His recollection of the ensuing moments remains fragmented, reflecting the severity of the injuries and the confusion inside the cockpit.

“And at that point, the next feeling I had was that the aircraft was sharply going down,” he said. “My memory is still in bits and pieces right now, but this is what I remember out of that time.”

During the struggle, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door once. However, he believed his co-pilot shut it again, preventing him from escaping or getting help from those outside.

By then, he was lying on the cockpit floor, seriously injured and with the aircraft continuing its dangerous descent.

“I did try and manage to open the door once, but I think he shut it back closed. And at this point, I remember, I was lying down on the cockpit floor, and I felt the aircraft and the whooshing sound and people screaming,” he said.

The sounds of the aircraft and passengers screaming made the danger unmistakable. Machchhar realised that he might not survive unless he made another attempt to reach the door.

He described that moment as the point at which he summoned whatever strength remained to him, despite the injuries he had already sustained.

“And as I was telling the Ambassador here, I had that one last fight left in me… Call it personal or call it for people, I did it because if I didn’t do it, I was going to die, and that’s when I pushed against everything… I gave everything that I had and went for the door and opened the door.”

Passengers Intervened as Pilot Made Final Attempt

Opening the cockpit door proved decisive. Machchhar said people were waiting outside and immediately intervened, taking control of the situation.

“And thankfully, people were waiting to pounce back … took over control and the rest is what you know,” he said.

The pilot’s account highlights the role played by those who were able to respond once the cockpit door was opened. His attempt to reach the door, despite being severely injured and barely able to see, created an opportunity for others to intervene.

Netanyahu praised Machchhar’s courage and ability to make decisions under extreme pressure, describing his actions as extraordinary.

“I’m amazed at your courage, at your coolness of judgment under impossible conditions,” the Israeli Prime Minister told him.

Netanyahu said the pilot had saved not only the lives of those aboard the aircraft but also demonstrated how courage and collective action could overcome violence.

“You saved so many souls. I think you saved something bigger. You saved the spirit of the world to realise that a brave pilot and brave passengers can overcome this evil, however threatening, however violent. It’s something that is being justly hailed around the world,” he said.

Calling Machchhar a hero of India, Israel and the wider world, Netanyahu also conveyed his wishes to the pilot’s family and urged him to recover quickly.

“You’re a hero of Israel. You’re a hero of India. You’re a hero of the entire world,” he said.

Netanyahu extended his greetings to Machchhar’s wife and said he hoped the pilot would be able to visit Israel again soon.

“So we hope to see you very soon in Israel. I look forward to seeing you here again. But under the circumstances, I think this will be a memorable and historic visit,” he said.

The Israeli Prime Minister had invited Machchhar to light a celebratory flame at Israel’s next Independence Day ceremony, recognising the pilot’s actions during the incident.

Machchhar’s account offers a rare first-person description of the cockpit attack, revealing how quickly the situation deteriorated and how his decision to make one final attempt to open the door helped create the opportunity for others to intervene.

For the pilot, the decisive moment came when he believed he had nothing left to give, yet found the strength to fight once more. “I had that one last fight left in me,” he said.