FlyDubai 'hijack' jet's stabbed captain reveals how he summoned strength to save others

FlyDubai 'hijack' jet's stabbed captain reveals how he summoned strength to save others Heavily-bandaged Smit Machchhar, 39, revealed he made "one last push" to unlock the flight deck so brave passengers could storm the cockpit and foil the "terror attack" The hero FlyDubai captain left soaked in blood after being stabbed by his co-pilot in an attempted hijacking today said he “wasn’t going to let others die”. Heavily-bandaged Smit Machchhar spoke from his hospital bed, revealing he made "one last push" to unlock the flight deck so brave passengers could storm the cockpit and foil the "terror attack". Israel fears the co-pilot - an Omani national - may have been a religious extremist who underwent “Islamist radical indoctrination”. Mr Machchhar, 39, from Mumbai, India, broke his silence today, speaking with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the suspected hijacking attempt. Describing how he summoned the strength to act, Mr Machchhar said: “I was lying on the floor injured but I told myself to go for one last push to open the door from inside. "Others came in and also played a role [in controlling the situation]. I was of course fighting for my own life but at the same time I knew I was not going to let others die.” In a video call Mr Modi told the hero captain he potentially saved hundreds of lives through his “courage, patience and quick decision-making”. Mr Machchhar’s current condition remains stable after he was rushed to hospital when passengers with flight experience managed to help land the aircraft. Describing his injuries, Mr Machchhar added: “I am not looking at this wound like a wound because that would make my recovery even more difficult. “I am looking at it as a journey which is slowly going on and will take time but I am confident that the recovery will be there and I will become fit and healthy again.” In the video call with Mr Modi, father-of-two Mr Machchhar told the prime minister: “I had never imagined that I would get the opportunity to speak to you, sir. Today, receiving a call from you makes me feel really proud. You are my biggest idol. I feel proud of the way you are encouraging me today.” Mr Modi said: “The whole country is praying for you … your courage, presence of mind and composure saved many lives. The country can proudly say that Indians are not those who take lives, but those who are willing to risk their lives to save others.” Mr Machchhar, who joined the Dubai low cost airline in 2022, has been jhailed for his bravery since Wednesday's attempted hijacking. Waving flags and chanting his name, a crowd had gathered outside his family home following the attack. He was praised by the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, who said Mr Machchhar’s “unbelievable courage”, along with that of passengers and crew members, had prevented a disaster. Trump said the captain, who is in his thirties, showed “presence of mind, and courage … and prevented a 9/11-type tragedy”. Pals in Ghatkopar East, the Mumbai suburb where Mr Machchhar’s family lives, told The Times that accounts of the pilot’s heroism matched his character. “He has a lot of bravery in him,” said Ami Sapani, a neighbour. Akshay Doshi, who has known Machchhar for 15 years, said: “We did not expect any less from him — it did not come as a surprise.” Another neighbour, Laxmikant Joshi, said: “We are proud of him for his nature, his bravery." In a message on Thursday FlyDubai said: “You are a hero to us all, Captain.” Israeli officials claim the co-pilot was trying to crash the plane and kill everyone on board in a 9/11-style tragedy after steering the Flydubai jet into a terrifying 700mph nosedive. His attacker was arrested in Saudi Arabia and is still being questioned. Israel fears he may have been an Omani religious extremist who underwent “Islamist radical indoctrination”. Last night six-year-old Nina Manes and her mother, Tali, told how they raised the alarm after hearing shouting coming from the cockpit of the Boeing 737 as she accompanied her daughter to the toilet. As she alerted cabin crew, Nina saw the captain fall through the cockpit door with the co-pilot stabbing him. “There was blood all over the cockpit and very, very sharp fighting moves,” Tali told the Israeli Channel 12. “I screamed, ‘He’s stabbing the pilot, he’s stabbing the pilot, come help!’ People looked at me and didn’t understand.” The Omani co-pilot was eventually subdued by passengers including Tali’s husband, Zvika, but not before the plane had gone into a dive, dropping from 34,000ft to about 15,000ft. Zvika said: “The shrieks of my daughters when the plane nose-dived [are still with me]. They said, ‘Dad we don’t want to die.’ [Their cries] were the triggers that caused me to run inside the cockpit.” Footage captured inside the aircraft by Shota Musayev, a dentist who treated the captain, reveals the copilot on his knees, with his hands bound behind his back. Tzvika added: "We asked if there was a doctor on the plane, there was a dentist actually... "He saved the life of the Indian captain, gave him oxygen, stopped his bleeding with blankets and all kinds of equipment that was in the area."