cockpit attack | DD News

October 19, 2026 8:36 AM

Captain Smit Machchhar reveals more details of the flydubai incident; says he hopes to return to action soon

Recovering well at Zayed Military Hospital in Abu Dhabi, Captain Smit Machchhar has given a detailed account of what he recalls from the day of the incident aboard flydubai flight FZ1073. In interviews with The National and Sky News Arabia, published on 17th October evening, Captain Smit recounted how he was attacked by his co-pilot on the Dubai to Tel Aviv flight on 30th September. He has described the repeated blows, his attempts to get help, the cockpit door opening and shutting, and how he r...

October 18, 2026 11:51 AM

‘You can’t die like this’: Indian pilot Smit Machchhar recounts cockpit attack, fight to survive in flydubai flight

Indian pilot Smit Machchhar initially thought something had broken off the roof of his aircraft and struck him on the back of his head before realising he was being attacked by his co-pilot aboard a flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv last month. "I didn't know at that point what had hit me," Machchhar said in an interview with Sky News Arabia on Saturday, recounting how a routine flight turned into a struggle for survival. He said the flight had proceeded normally, with all form...

October 2, 2026 2:23 PM

‘One last push’: Captain Smit tells PM Modi how he reached cockpit door despite injuries

Captain Smit Machchhar, who helped avert a major tragedy after being attacked by his co-pilot aboard a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight, told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that despite suffering severe injuries, he made “one last push” to reach the cockpit door as he could not let the passengers die. Speaking to PM Modi over the phone on Friday, Captain Machchhar recalled the moments after he collapsed on the floor following the attack and said his 17 years of flying experience helped him realise t...