What began as a routine Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv turned into a mid-air emergency after the co-pilot attacked Captain Smit Machchhar inside the cockpit.
The Indian captain was stabbed multiple times and suffered serious injuries to his head and hands. As the struggle continued, the aircraft entered a steep descent, dropping nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds.
Machchhar eventually collapsed on the cockpit floor.
But even while seriously injured, he could feel that the aircraft was still going down.
And then he realised that the cockpit door was within reach.
“One Last Push”
Speaking to Prime Minister Narendra Modi from his hospital bed, Machchhar recalled the moment he understood that he had to act.
He said he had suffered so many injuries that he had fallen to the floor, but he could still sense the aircraft’s descent.
“One last push, Smit. Just do it. The door is right there.”
What makes the moment even more extraordinary is that the attack had not stopped.
Machchhar said he was still being attacked while trying to open the cockpit door.
Despite the continuing assault and his injuries, he managed to reach the door and open it.
That decision changed the course of the emergency.
Passengers Enter the Cockpit
Once the cockpit door opened, passengers and crew members rushed inside.
They found the injured captain on the floor while the attacker was still inside the cockpit. Passengers intervened and helped restrain the co-pilot.
At the same time, the aircraft still had to be recovered.
Two additional pilots who were travelling onboard helped take control of the aircraft and stabilise the flight.
The aircraft was subsequently diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.
Fighting for His Life — While Thinking About Everyone Else
Machchhar later explained that he was trying to survive himself, but he was also conscious of the passengers behind him.
“I couldn’t let everybody else die.”
The aircraft was carrying 174 people.
His decision to open the cockpit door allowed passengers and crew to reach the cockpit and intervene, creating the opportunity for the additional pilots to help regain control of the aircraft.
A Crisis Unfolding in Seconds
The incident shows how quickly an aviation emergency can escalate.
A confrontation inside the cockpit became a serious attack on the captain. The aircraft then plunged thousands of feet while Machchhar was seriously injured and the co-pilot remained at the controls.
In those critical moments, Machchhar’s ability to recognise what was happening and reach the cockpit door became a decisive part of the response.
He did not land the aircraft alone. Passengers, crew members and the additional pilots all played important roles in bringing the flight safely to the ground.
But without the injured captain’s decision to open the door, those people may not have had the opportunity to intervene.
“I Couldn’t Let Everybody Else Die”
Machchhar was badly injured. He had collapsed on the cockpit floor. The aircraft was rapidly losing altitude, and the attack was continuing.
Yet he made one final effort to reach the door.
One last push.
The aircraft eventually landed safely in Tabuk, and all 174 people onboard survived the ordeal.
The investigation into the attack and the co-pilot’s motive remains ongoing.
For Captain Smit Machchhar, however, the defining moment of the flight came while he was lying injured on the cockpit floor — when he realised that the door was still within reach and chose to make one last push.
Watch Captain Smit Machchhar’s Account
Watch the video of Captain Smit Machchhar’s account of the terrifying incident and his fight to open the cockpit door.
Sources
- Reuters – Indian pilot tells PM Modi he opened Flydubai cockpit door during attack
- Al Jazeera – How the Flydubai pilot and passengers saved the plane
- The Indian Express – Flydubai flight emergency and cockpit attack
- The New Indian Express – Pilots’ body seeks National Bravery Award for Captain Smit Machchhar