If I don't get up, I'll be dead: Capt Smit recounts Flydubai attack to PM Modi

Captain Smit Machchhar, who was stabbed by his Omani co-pilot onboard the Dubai-Tel Aviv flydubai flight, spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on video call and said he was reciting the Hanuman Chalisa during the terrifying moment. While recalling the attack, the hero captain said that despite his serious injuries, he realised he had to get up and act or he would be dead.

During the call on Friday, PM Modi praised the pilot's courage, presence of mind and composure, telling him that the entire country was praying for him.

During the attack on Wednesday, the 39-year-old pilot, despite being seriously injured, fought back and managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to intervene and avert a tragedy.

Machchhar is currently undergoing treatment in the UAE. He was moved a day after being admitted to a hospital in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where the flydubai flight, carrying 174 passengers and eight crew members, landed following the incident.

During the conversation with the Prime Minister, he became emotional and said that it was a very special moment for him.

“You are my biggest idol, and I feel very, very proud that you are encouraging me by calling me like this. I had suffered so many injuries, but I told myself that I had to get up and act. At that moment, I was fighting for my life. I had fallen down, but I realised that if I did not get up, I would be dead," he told PM Modi as he recounted the attack.

"I have been flying for over 17 years and have been a captain for the last 11 years, so I could understand what was happening on the plane even with my eyes closed. I knew I had to make that last push. I pushed myself to open the cockpit door, and once I did, everyone else came in. Everyone played an equal role in what happened.”

During the interaction, Smit shared that whenever he finds himself in difficulty, he recites the Hanuman Chalisa. He said he was reciting it during Wednesday's attack as well.

PM Modi told the pilot that he even spoke to his mother, Geeta, and said she had raised him with the values and teachings of the Bhagavad Gita.

The Prime Minister told Smit that the country could proudly say that Indians are not those who take lives, but those who are willing to risk their own lives to save others.

PM Modi also told the hero captain that the country was eagerly waiting to welcome him and that special prayers had been held across India for his recovery.

He also thanked the Saudi and UAE governments for taking care of the injured pilot and assured him, “I am only a phone call away whenever you need me.”

Praising Machchhar’s courage, PM Modi said he had shown the world the meaning of “Ahimsa” and had done a great service by saving everyone on board.

Referring to reactions on social media, he said there had been comments about what people would have said about India had the situation unfolded differently, adding that Machchhar had “done a big job and saved everyone.”- Ends