Flydubai hero pilot tells Modi 'I could not let all those people die'

We and our partners do the following data processing based on your consent: store and/or access information on a device, personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development Flydubai hero pilot tells Modi 'I could not let all those people die' Smit Machchhar, the Indian captain who was attacked by his co-pilot onboard the Flydubai flight 1073 in an apparent attempt to crash the plane, on Friday told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that although he was severely injured in the altercation, “I could not let all those people die”. Although collapsed, he made a last-ditch effort and managed to push the door to the cockpit open. This screengrab from Narendra Modi YouTube Channel shows Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking with Flydubai pilot Captain Smit Machchhar on October 2, 2026. © Narendra Modi YouTube Channel via AP Indian pilot Smit Machchhar, who was wounded during an alleged attack by his co-pilot aboard a Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight, acted to protect the plane’s passengers, he told Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.

The Boeing 737 flight, operated by Dubai-based Flydubai, was carrying 174 passengers when the altercation took place on Wednesday. Read moreNetanyahu says Flydubai co-pilot was radicalised as UAE probes terror link Machchhar, who has 17 years of aviation experience – 11 as a captain – described the moment he realised the plane was going down while he was lying injured, sparking his final push to avert disaster. At that time, I could feel that the aircraft was going down.

I knew this was the last push, that the door was right there,” he said. Machchhar said years of aviation experience allowed him to understand what was happening even while he was injured. The circumstances of the confrontation are under investigation.

The co-pilot allegedly attacked Machchhar, leaving him wounded and triggering a struggle for control of the aircraft. Passengers rerouted the Flydubai plane to stop it from crashing, making an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. Modi said his actions helped save hundreds of lives and avert “a great tragedy”.

Israeli Prime Minister Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier credited Machchhar, as well as the flight’s passengers, with averting catastrophe. Passengers described rushing the cockpit and a fight for control after the plane suddenly plummeted, losing around 17,000 feet of altitude in the span of a minute, according to the Flightradar24 website. Netanyahu says Flydubai co-pilot was radicalised as UAE probes terror link Pilot wounded in Flydubai incident is ‘in good health’, Indian embassy in UAE reports 1. 1 ## Eiffel Tower chief to step down over removal of women staff during Hindu group's visit France 2. 2 ## Transport suspended in some French cities as school protests continue France 3. 3 ## Netanyahu says Israel is preparing for other ‘potential threats’ after pilot tried to crash plane Middle East 4. 4 ## US forces leave Iraq, raising fears of Iran-backed militias amid power vacuum Middle East 5. 5 ## Poll shows French far-right leader Marine Le Pen widening lead ahead of 2027 presidential vote France 6. 6 ## Video shows Iranian police beating, sexually humiliating teenage detainee © 2026 Copyright France 24 - All rights reserved.

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