PM Modi speaks to hero Smit Machchhar on video call after flydubai plane stabbing
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spoke to Indian Captain Smit Machchhar, who was stabbed by the co-pilot during a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, and praised his courage during the mid-air crisis.
During the conversation, Machchhar briefed the PM about his experience during the incident and what gave him the courage to respond in the face of the danger. Modi applauded the pilot for his bravery and wished him a speedy recovery, HT has learnt.
Machchhar, who was seriously wounded during the attack on Wednesday, has since been shifted from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates for further treatment. India's ambassador to the UAE, Deepak Mittal, visited him and his family at the hospital and said the pilot was “in good health and recovering well”.
ALSO READ | Stabbed flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar now stable, ‘smiling and laughing’ in Abu Dhabi hospital: Envoy
What happened on the flydubai flight
Machchhar was the captain of flydubai flight FZ1073, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 174 passengers on board. While the aircraft was flying over Saudi Arabia, his Omani co-pilot allegedly attacked and stabbed him inside the cockpit.
Despite being seriously injured, Machchhar is said to have managed to unlock the cockpit door. This allowed passengers and crew to enter and overpower the attacker. A plumber then allegedly took control of the aircraft as it was nose-diving and other pilots on the plane then diverted it to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where it made an emergency landing, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview.
Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft went into a sharp descent during the incident, losing more than 14,000 feet in less than a minute. The aircraft eventually landed safely in Tabuk.
ALSO READ | ‘There’s an extra pilot’, ‘sit down!’ Videos capture flydubai flight chaos after cockpit stabbing
Machchhar averted ‘9/11’ style attack
On Thursday, Modi said Machchhar displayed remarkable patience, presence of mind and courage during the emergency.
Speaking at an event marking the centenary of the Union Public Service Commission in New Delhi, Modi said Machchhar's actions had helped avert what he described as a “9/11-style tragedy”. The remark referred to the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, when hijacked aircraft were used to strike targets, killing nearly 3,000 people.
Modi also spoke to Machchhar's wife and parents and assured them that Indian missions were providing all possible assistance, HT reported earlier.
ALSO READ | ‘Amazed flydubai plane didn’t crash': Aviation experts shocked at flight surviving 16,000-feet plunge
President Droupadi Murmu also praised the pilot, saying the nation was proud of him and that his courage and presence of mind had touched people across the country.
Benjamin Netanyahu likewise praised Machchhar, describing the incident as an “amazing act of heroism” and saying the actions of the Indian pilot and others on board had helped prevent a potentially major disaster.
Smit Machchhar moved to UAE for treatment
Machchhar was initially taken to a hospital in Tabuk after the emergency landing. He underwent treatment there before being moved to the UAE on Thursday.
The Indian mission in the UAE said it was coordinating closely with local authorities over his medical care. Ambassador Deepak Mittal met Machchhar and his family at the hospital and said the pilot was recovering well.
His parents, Upendra and Gita, travelled to the UAE to be with him, while his wife Sonal and their two children were already with him.
Machchhar has more than a decade of flying experience and previously worked with SpiceJet before joining Flydubai. He trained as a pilot in New Zealand.
The co-pilot, identified by Israeli officials as an Omani national, has not been publicly named.
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