New Delhi

Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot of a Flydubai flight who survived an attack by his Omani co-pilot and helped save 174 passengers through his courage and presence of mind, has spoken about the harrowing incident for the first time.

In interviews with UAE-based media outlets Sky News Arabia and The National, Machchhar recounted how he was repeatedly struck on the head, struggled to remain conscious and fought to survive as the aircraft plunged into danger. The two outlets have released promotional clips of their interviews with him.

Speaking from his hospital bed at Zayed Military Hospital in Abu Dhabi, where he is recovering from serious injuries, Machchhar became emotional as he spoke about the care and support he and his family had received from the UAE government and its people.

“I was told that, by the order of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed, the President of the UAE, he had called me back home. I smiled for the first time,” he recalled.

According to The National, Machchhar had been taken to a hospital in Saudi Arabia after the attack, where he underwent complex surgery to treat his internal injuries. He was subsequently brought back to the UAE following an order from President Sheikh Mohamed.

“I was told that, by the order of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed, the President of the UAE, he had called me back home. I smiled for the first time,” he recalled. 

“I can’t thank the President and the people enough for bringing me home and taking so much care of me and my family,” he told Sky News Arabia and The National.

'I was told that, by the order of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed, the President of UAE has called you back home – I smiled for the first time.' Flydubai captain Smit Machchhar thanked the UAE for his treatment and returning him to family, saying he considers the country home. Watch his full conversation with The National's Editor-in-Chief, Mina Al-Oraibi on our website and YouTube channel now

— The National (@TheNationalNews) October 17, 2026

‘I thought I was having a problem with the aircraft’

Machchhar said he was flying with the Omani co-pilot for the first time. Although they had been sitting beside each other in the cockpit for about two hours, he had not suspected anything was wrong.

When the first blow landed on his head, he initially thought something had fallen from a cockpit panel. It was only after the third blow that he realised he was under attack.

As the assault continued, he repeatedly lost and regained consciousness, leaving him with hazy memories of how events unfolded.

“My immediate action was to free myself from the seat belts. And I tried to just block the blows as much as I could, because the blows were coming on the head,” he said.

🇮🇳🇮🇱 First interview with Indian hero Captain Smit Machchhar, whose extraordinary bravery saved 170 lives during the terrorist attack on a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. https://t.co/1OYFxd5ALI

— Daniel Schatz (@drdanielschatz) October 17, 2026

He suffered serious injuries to his head and arms, including wounds sustained while trying to shield himself from the blows. “While the first few blows came in, my vision … it was so narrow. I lost a lot. I was just looking [at] outlines,” he recalled.

Machchhar said he could see another pilot through the cockpit camera and realised that he needed to alert his colleagues and seek help. “In the next couple of seconds, when the hits kept on coming, [I realised] it’s the other person who I thought was supposed to be on the team,” he said.

A desperate struggle to open the cockpit door

Despite his injuries, Machchhar tried to open the cockpit door so that others could intervene. Each time he exerted himself physically, however, he lost more blood and consciousness.

“Immediately, my hand went to the knob which opens the door,” he said. “And [I was] screaming for my colleagues. I believe that was the first time when I lost consciousness. I fell face down in the cockpit.”

THE HERO OF FLYDUBAI FLIGHT FZ1073 — FULL INTERVIEW PATR 1 OUT OF 3 An exclusive interview with Captain Smit Machchhar, the hero who helped save an entire plane from disaster. Despite being brutally attacked and seriously injured by his co-pilot, he found the strength to fight back, open the cockpit door, and give passengers and crew a chance to save everyone on board. An extraordinary story of courage, survival, and heroism. 🎥 Full interview Video credit: @TheNationalNews

— Never October 7 (@neveroctober7) October 17, 2026

He eventually managed to open the door after several attempts, although he remains unsure of the precise sequence of events.

One of the most frightening moments came when he heard the aircraft’s engines lose power and felt the plane plunge into a steep dive. Crew members and passengers were banging on the other side of the cockpit door.

“The scariest thing that I heard and felt was the engines spooling down. When I say spooling down, it’s the engine sound going from full blast to like … not what you want at that stage in the flight. And I felt the aircraft was steeply going down,” he said.

At that moment, he feared he would not survive.

“I realised that you will not survive this,” he recalled. “And I was constantly looking for the door. I did go for it. I did push it … the next thing I remember was I was face down, lying with, thank God, the cockpit door open. I was between the cockpit and the galley.”

‘I didn’t give up’

Machchhar described his struggle to survive as instinctive, saying that he refused to accept the possibility of dying.

“I have to do something. You can’t die like this. I can’t accept my death,” he said, recalling the thoughts that went through his mind during the attack.

He was eventually pulled out of the cockpit by a passenger. A senior cabin crew member then reached him and helped manage the emergency, while passengers and crew members intervened to restrain the attacker. Two Flydubai pilots travelling as passengers took control of the aircraft.

“The next thing I remember was [being] pulled out by one of the passengers. And then, soon after that, the senior cabin crew thankfully reached where I was and did his magic. And yeah, that’s how I’m speaking to you today,” he said.

Looking back on the ordeal, Machchhar said he had prayed and thought about his children.

“I prayed a lot. I thought about my son, my daughter, and prayed. That was the point where I would say I didn’t give up,” he said.

He added: “Did I give up? No. I can 100 per cent tell you I did not give up. But was I sure I was going to make it? No.”

Determined to return to flying

Machchhar, who lives in the UAE with his wife and children, faces a long recovery. Despite the trauma, he remains determined to return to the cockpit.

“Did my love die for aviation? Not at all. Not at all,” he said with a smile. “I’m just glad that I was able to do my part.”

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The attack occurred during a Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv. According to reports, the Omani co-pilot admitted to planning to crash the aircraft into a building in the Israeli city and faces terrorism charges in the UAE.