DUBAI: Flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar has described the moment he opened the cockpit door while seriously wounded after realizing flight FZ1073 was descending, allowing others on board to enter and help.
Machchhar recounted the incident during a call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who praised the pilot for his actions aboard the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight.
“At that moment, I was fighting for my life,” Machchhar said, adding that he had suffered multiple wounds and believed he might die.
The pilot said he was on the floor when he felt the aircraft descending and realized he had to act.
“I have been flying for 17 years. I have been a captain for the last 11 years, and I know with my eyes closed what will happen in a plane,” he said.
Machchhar said he knew the cockpit door was nearby and made a final effort to reach and open it.
“I knew this was a last push,” he said, adding that once the door was opened, others came in and helped.
Machchhar stressed that he was not alone in responding to the emergency, saying others on board also played a role.
He said that despite fighting for his own life, he understood that failing to act could put everyone aboard the aircraft at risk.
Machchhar also praised the medical treatment he has received in Saudi Arabia following the incident.
“I could not get better care and better medical attention,” he said, thanking both the Saudi and UAE governments.
He described his recovery as a journey that would be “very slow” and take time, but said he was confident he would regain his health.
Modi praised Machchhar’s courage and quick thinking, telling him that his actions had helped save lives and made India proud.
The transcript does not include Machchhar identifying his attacker or detailing how the confrontation inside the cockpit began.
