Pilot speaks after surviving mid-air cockpit struggle on Flydubai Jet

Captain Smit Machchhar, the pilot who was stabbed during a dramatic mid-air struggle aboard a Flydubai passenger aircraft, has spoken publicly for the first time about the terrifying incident.

Speaking from his hospital bed, Machchhar described how he continued fighting despite suffering stab wounds, saying his priority was to regain access to the cockpit and prevent the situation from becoming a catastrophe.

Machchhar said he was lying injured on the cockpit floor when he realised he had to make one final attempt to open the cockpit door.

“I was lying on the floor injured but I told myself to go for one last push to open the door from inside,” he said.

He added that other people subsequently entered the cockpit and helped bring the confrontation under control.

Machchhar said his thoughts during the ordeal extended beyond his own survival to the safety of everyone aboard the aircraft.

“I was of course fighting for my own life but at the same time I knew I was not going to let others die,” he said.

The captain sustained stab wounds during the confrontation with his co-pilot, whom Israeli officials allege attempted to take control of the aircraft and deliberately steer it into a dangerous descent.

The aircraft reportedly entered a high-speed nosedive as the crisis unfolded inside the cockpit, triggering a desperate effort to regain control.

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Despite his injuries, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, enabling others aboard the aircraft to enter and assist in restraining the suspected attacker.

The co-pilot was subsequently restrained and questioned by anti-terror investigators as authorities began examining the circumstances and possible motive behind the incident.

Israeli officials have raised the possibility that the confrontation was linked to an attempt to deliberately crash the aircraft. However, investigators have yet to issue a final determination on what prompted the incident.

Following the emergency, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Machchhar and praised his actions, highlighting the captain’s courage, patience and decision-making during the crisis.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also commended Machchhar, describing him as a “true hero” and saying the incident could have resulted in a major aviation disaster.

Machchhar remains in hospital receiving treatment for injuries sustained during the cockpit struggle, while investigations into the incident continue.