A FlyDubai pilot has recounted his heroic actions after being stabbed by his copilot during a mid-flight attack.
What happened
Capt. Smit Machchhar was wounded in the attack, but managed to open the cockpit door, allowing Israeli passengers to rush in and incapacitate the copilot. The plane had plunged over 14,000 feet in 30 seconds before the passengers intervened and stabilized the aircraft.
Machchhar, who has been flying for 17 years and a captain for 11 years, said he was able to feel the plane plunging as he lay wounded on the floor. He made a final push to open the door, saying to himself, 'This is the last push, do it, the door is right there.'
The pilot's actions have been praised by Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, among others. Machchhar has said he turned to his faith to get through the ordeal, chanting the Hanuman Chalisa while in pain.
Machchhar was taken to a hospital in the UAE after being stabilized in Saudi Arabia, where the plane made an emergency landing. He is currently recovering from his wounds, which include a stab wound to the head and a severely injured arm.
