Indian pilot describes dramatic attack during Dubai-Tel Aviv flight
“The Indian pilot stabbed by his co-pilot on a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv replayed the dramatic attack and his desperate effort to open the cockpit door to seek help, in a video call with I…”
Smit Machchhar, seen with a tube in his nose and bandages on his head and hands, spoke to Modi from a hospital bed in Abu Dhabi during a nearly 10-minute clip released on the prime minister's social media channels, wiping away tears as he narrated his ordeal. "I knew that the aircraft was going down...
I had fallen to the ground. I is right there, just open it. I managed to do it and people entered," he said.
Machchhar was stabbed by his co-pilot in an alleged attempt to crash the flydubai plane on Wednesday. The jet, with 174 people on board, plunged nearly 14,000 ft (4,267 m) in less than 30 seconds in the incident.
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"I have been flying for the last 17 years, have been a captain for the last 11 years. I knew that the aircraft was going down," he said. Modi praised Machchhar's bravery and said his presence of mind saved lives and saved the reputation of Indian pilots.
"I know God saved me," said an emotional Machchhar, who is from Modi's home state of Gujarat. Machchhar was covered with blood and on the floor when he managed to open the cockpit door, a spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
That allowed passengers and crew to overpower the co-pilot and let a second pair of flydubai pilots on board take control of the jet and land it in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
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