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Hero Pilot Smit Machchhar to PM Modi: "Couldn't Let Passengers Die"
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News18•02-10-2026, 12:52
Hero Pilot Smit Machchhar to PM Modi: "Couldn't Let Passengers Die"
- •PM Narendra Modi praised Flydubai pilot Smit Machchhar for his heroic actions in preventing a catastrophe after his co-pilot stabbed him and attempted to crash the aircraft.
- •Captain Machchhar, speaking to PM Modi, emotionally recalled his resolve to act despite severe injuries, stating, "I had so many injuries, but I told myself I had to get up and act."
- •The incident occurred on a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, where the co-pilot, an Omani national, assaulted Captain Machchhar.
- •Passengers and crew intervened after the Boeing 737 dropped significantly, subduing the co-pilot, enabling a second pair of pilots to safely land the aircraft in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
- •PM Modi commended Captain Machchhar for prioritizing the lives of over 170 passengers and crew, emphasizing that he elevated the honor of 140 crore Indians.
Key Questions Answered
During a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, the co-pilot stabbed the captain, Smit Machchhar, and attempted to crash the aircraft. Passengers and crew members rushed into the cockpit to overpower the attacker while a second pair of pilots safely landed the Boeing 737 in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Captain Smit Machchhar over a video call for putting the lives of the passengers ahead of his own despite sustaining serious injuries. PM Modi stated that Machchhar increased the honour of 140 crore Indians and thanked the governments of Saudi Arabia and the UAE for taking care of him.
The co-pilot who attacked Captain Smit Machchhar during the flight was an Omani national.
