Friday, October 2, 2026 - Indian Captain Smit Machchhar is recovering in an Abu Dhabi hospital after a dramatic cockpit attack aboard a FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
Machchhar told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he was badly injured after his co-pilot stabbed him, but realised he had to get back on his feet as the aircraft entered a steep descent. “I was fighting for my life,” he said, explaining that he feared passengers would lose their lives if he could not regain control.
The Boeing 737 was carrying 182 people when the incident unfolded on Wednesday. Despite his injuries, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to enter and help restrain the attacker.
The aircraft was diverted to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. Saudi authorities arrested the co-pilot, identified by Israeli officials as an Omani national, while the motive remains under investigation.
Machchhar said his 17 years of flying experience helped him recognise that the aircraft was rapidly losing altitude even after he had fallen to the cockpit floor. He has since been publicly praised for his actions, while attention turns to the investigation and questions surrounding cockpit security.
For the passengers who survived the terrifying ordeal, the captain’s account offers a stark picture of the seconds in which his own struggle became a fight to protect everyone aboard.
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