'I was not going to let others die' - Flydubai captain recounts co-pilot's cockpit attack

The captain of a Flydubai flight, Smit Machchhar, has described to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi the dramatic attack carried out against him by his co-pilot during the flight.

Machchhar said he was lying on the cockpit floor, injured and still under attack, when he realised the aircraft was losing altitude and that he needed to act immediately. He recalled telling himself to make one final effort to open the cockpit door from the inside. While fighting for his own life, he said, he was also determined not to let others on board die.

The aircraft, flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv, suddenly dropped more than 17,000ft (around 5,200m) about two and a half hours into the journey. Passengers and crew members overpowered the attacker and regained control of the plane, which was then landed safely. The flight was diverted to Tabuk, a city in north-western Saudi Arabia.

The captain has also been praised as a hero by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Following the incident, Machchhar was taken to hospital before being airlifted to Abu Dhabi, where he is reported to be in stable condition.

Machchhar said he has worked as a pilot for 17 years and can sense what is happening to an aircraft even with his eyes closed. Modi told him that his courage, patience and quick decision-making had saved many lives, and that the entire country was proud of him.

The Indian embassy in the UAE said on Thursday that Machchhar was in good health and recovering well. Ambassador Deepak Mittal said he was proud of the captain's bravery and reassured after meeting him.

Machchhar said he is trying not to view his injury as a wound, since that would make recovery harder, but rather as a journey that will take time — one he is confident will end with him becoming fit and healthy again.