Flydubai captain Machchhar breaks silence on cockpit attack, praises colleague's heroism
Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot who prevented a potential crash over Israel, has broken his silence in an interview with Sky News Arabia. Recovering in an Abu Dhabi hospital, Machchhar recalled the moment he was attacked by his Omani co-pilot, Hammam al-Hammami, on September 30. He described a near-fatal moment where he realized he might not survive but forced himself to act. Machchhar praised another colleague who took control of the aircraft after he collapsed, calling the act something he will 'keep with me till I die.' The flight, which carried 174 passengers, plunged nearly 14,000 feet before landing safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after passengers subdued the attacker.