Captain Says He Forced Open Cockpit Door Despite Severe Injuries as Plane Plunged Nearly 14,000 Feet Before Israeli Passengers Subdued Attacker

Flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar, who played a central role in preventing an apparent attempt to bring down a flight headed to Tel Aviv on Wednesday, has described his struggle to regain control of the aircraft after being stabbed by his copilot. Speaking with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Machchhar recalled forcing open the cockpit door despite his serious injuries as the Boeing 737 rapidly lost altitude.

“I was trying to save my own life, but I knew I was not going to let others die,” Machchhar said from his hospital bed in Abu Dhabi. His account appeared in a 10-minute video that Modi shared on social media Friday.

“I had suffered so many injuries that I had collapsed,” Machchhar explained. The captain, whose head was bandaged and who had medical tubes in his nose, became emotional while describing the incident.

“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.”

The Boeing 737 was transporting 174 passengers when Machchhar’s Omani copilot allegedly attacked him with a knife in what investigators suspect was an effort to crash the aircraft. During the incident, the plane dropped approximately 14,000 feet (4,267 meters) in under half a minute.

“I have been flying planes for 17 years and serving as a captain for the last 11 years. I can sense exactly what is happening with the aircraft even with my eyes closed. When I was down, I could feel that the aircraft was plummeting,” he said.

After Machchhar, despite being covered in blood, succeeded in opening the cockpit door, Israeli passengers rushed inside and confronted the attacker. They managed to overpower him, restrain him and help stabilize the situation. Other pilots who happened to be aboard the flight assisted in bringing the aircraft to an emergency landing in Tabuk, in northwestern Saudi Arabia.

Machchhar, who is married and has two children, also described turning to religious prayer during the ordeal. He said he repeatedly recited a Hindu devotional prayer, traditionally associated with seeking courage and strength.

Following the emergency landing, the Israeli passengers were transported home aboard a special repatriation flight from Saudi Arabia, a country that does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel. Machchhar and the alleged attacker were subsequently taken back to the United Arab Emirates. The captain was transferred for medical care, while the copilot was returned for questioning.

During their conversation, Modi praised the captain’s actions, saying his “courage, patience and presence of mind” had prevented “a great tragedy” and helped protect hundreds of lives. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has likewise recognized Machchhar and the Israeli passengers for their roles in preventing the aircraft from crashing.

Netanyahu said Thursday that the Omani copilot “underwent Islamist radical indoctrination,” while cautioning that it was “too early to say whether there was Iranian collusion” in the incident.

The United Arab Emirates has confirmed that authorities are investigating whether terrorism was involved in the attempted hijacking. Officials have also indicated that alternative explanations, including possible mental illness, remain under consideration as the investigation continues.