Flydubai pilot recounts cockpit stabbing in call with Indian PM Modi

What the report says

Indian pilot Smit Machchhar has described the moments after he was stabbed by his co-pilot during a Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv, in an account shared during a video call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to Al Jazeera’s report, the call took place on Friday from a hospital in Abu Dhabi, where Machchhar is recovering after the incident.

Machchhar said he understood the aircraft was losing altitude while he was injured in the cockpit. He told Modi that he managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to enter and help restrain the co-pilot. He then said a second Flydubai crew took control and landed the plane in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The pilot, who has 17 years of aviation experience, said he believed his experience helped him respond while wounded.

The flight was carrying 174 people and was reported to have dropped by about 17,000 feet before being brought under control. Al Jazeera said UAE officials have said they will investigate the incident. The article also noted that senior figures in the region and elsewhere have publicly described the attack in strong terms, though those comments are not part of the formal investigation.

The case has raised broader questions about cockpit security and how airlines handle an onboard assault by a pilot. In the video call, Modi praised Machchhar’s actions, while the pilot said he believed he was helped by God during the ordeal.