Indian pilot says he risked life to save flydubai passengers

Indian pilot Smit Machchhar said he acted to protect 174 passengers after an alleged co-pilot attack aboard a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv.

According to Vanguard, Machchhar spoke from his hospital bed during a Friday call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“I was trying to save my own life, but I knew I could not let all those people die,” he said.

Machchhar said he collapsed from his injuries before realising the aircraft was descending.

“I had suffered so many injuries that I had collapsed. At that time, I could feel that the aircraft was going down. I knew this was the last push, that the door was right there,” he said.

“I was being hit even then, but I just opened the door and everyone came in”.

Passengers and reserve pilots subdued the co-pilot and diverted the Boeing 737 to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely.

Modi praised Machchhar’s actions for helping avert “a great tragedy”.