PM Modi calls Captain Smit Machchhar, who tells him of the ‘one last push’ that saved flight FZ1073

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Captain Smit Machchhar by video call on Friday, two days after the Indian pilot was stabbed by his own co-pilot at the controls of a flydubai jet bound for Tel Aviv, and still managed to open the cockpit door to the people who saved the aircraft.

Machchhar, his head bandaged, spoke from a hospital bed in the United Arab Emirates. He told the Prime Minister what went through his mind after he was knocked to the cockpit floor.

"When I was down on the floor, I sensed that the aircraft was going down. And I knew for sure: 'This is the one last push, Smit. Just do it. The door is right there.' Even as blows were still landing on me, I just managed to open it, sir. Then everyone else arrived. The others also played an equal role in this," he said, according to ANI.

'I could not let all of them die'

Machchhar said he had been fighting for his life, but knew the 174 passengers on board depended on what he did next. "Consciously, I was telling everyone that I was acting for my own survival, but at the same time, I knew deep down that I could not let all of them die," he said.

His experience told him how little time he had. "I have been flying planes in aviation for 17 years. I have been a captain for the last 11 years. Even with my eyes closed, I know exactly what is happening with the aircraft," he told Modi.

'Indians save lives'

Modi praised the decisions Machchhar made under attack. "Your courage, your patience, and your presence of mind. You made crucial decisions in fractions of a second and saved so many lives. Today, the entire nation can proudly say that we Indians are not people who take lives — we are people who save lives," he said.

The call fell on Gandhi Jayanti, and the Prime Minister drew the connection. "Today is Gandhi Jayanti. You have shown the world what the true meaning of 'Ahimsa' is," he said, according to PTI. He told Machchhar he had raised the standing of Indian pilots everywhere, and that the country was waiting for him: "Smit, whenever you need me, I am just a phone call away."

Modi also thanked the governments of Saudi Arabia, where the aircraft landed, and the UAE, where Machchhar is being treated, for the care he has received.

The Hanuman Chalisa, and a son of two

Asked what kept him going, Machchhar said: "Whenever I feel afraid, only one thing comes to mind: I recite the Hanuman Chalisa. Even during that ordeal, I was continuously reciting the Hanuman Chalisa. I know that God's grace was with me."

He said he recites it with his two-year-old son, and that his family had kept its culture though it lives abroad. "I am away from the country, not from our culture," he said. Modi praised his mother, Geetaben, for bringing him up on the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, and spoke to him briefly in Gujarati. The pilot was born in Mumbai and his family comes from Gujarat, PTI reported.

The Prime Minister told him that temples across India had held special prayers for his recovery and that many people were reciting the Mahamrityunjaya mantra for him. Machchhar became emotional. "I never thought I'd be talking to you right now," he said. Modi replied: "If you aren't emotional in front of me, then where will you be?"

'A journey that will happen slowly'

Machchhar said he expected a long recovery and was sure of the outcome. "I am thinking of it as a journey that will happen slowly. And it will take time, but I am very, very confident that I will recover. And I will be completely healthy."

Modi later posted the video on X, calling it "an unforgettable conversation with Captain Smit, filled with pride and emotions".

What happened on flight FZ1073

The attack happened on Wednesday, 30 September, on flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The co-pilot stabbed Machchhar and the aircraft went into a steep dive. Once the captain opened the cockpit door, passengers overpowered the attacker, and two off-duty pilots who were travelling on the flight landed it safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Our full account of the flight sets out what is known.

The co-pilot, an Omani citizen according to an Omani official quoted by CBS News, has been handed by Saudi Arabia to the UAE for questioning.

A day before the call, Modi had praised Machchhar on X: "Without fearing for his own life, he fought valiantly and prevented another 9/11 like attack from happening. 140 crore Indians salute Captain Smit and are praying for his well-being."

Who is Captain Smit Machchhar?