Captain Smit Machchhar told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he was reciting the Hanuman Chalisa while battling a terrifying cockpit attack aboard a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. PM Modi praised his courage, presence of mind and resilience.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spoke to Captain Smit Machchhar, the flydubai pilot who was seriously injured after an alleged attack by his co-pilot during a Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight. During the emotional video call, Machchhar recalled the terrifying moments inside the cockpit and told the Prime Minister that he was reciting the Hanuman Chalisa while fighting for his life. Machchhar also told PM Modi that he had never imagined he would get an opportunity to speak to him and described the conversation as a very special moment. The pilot, who is recovering in a hospital in Abu Dhabi, also praised the support extended by the Saudi and UAE authorities during his treatment.

During the conversation, Machchhar explained that reciting the Hanuman Chalisa is something he turns to whenever he is in difficulty. He said he continued doing so even as the cockpit attack unfolded. "Whenever I feel pain, I just chant Hanuman Chalisa. At that time, too, I was only chanting Hanuman Chalisa. And I know that God is with me. I have not thought even for a moment that I will be able to talk to you ever. I never thought," Captain Machchhar told the PM.

The interaction became emotional as Machchhar spoke about the extraordinary circumstances in which he had to fight back despite sustaining serious injuries. He also told PM Modi that the Prime Minister was his biggest idol. "You are my biggest idol. I feel proud of the way you are encouraging me today. I had so many injuries, but I told myself I have to get up and act. At the time, I pushed myself to open the cockpit door," he said.

'I knew these were the last few seconds of Smit'

Machchhar then walked the Prime Minister through the critical moments inside the aircraft. He said he had been a captain for 11 years and could understand what was happening to the aircraft even after he had fallen to the floor because of his injuries. "I was in that moment sir... I was, I was fighting for my life. But one such moment was there when I realised that if I didn't do anything, because I had fallen down, I had so many injuries that I had fallen below. I have been a captain for the last 11 years. And I get to know, even with my eyes closed, what is happening in the aircraft. When I had fallen down, then I was feeling that the aircraft is going down. And I totally knew that these were the last few seconds of Smit. And even then, I was trying to crawl. I opened the door, and rest all came...Just after that, people, Saudi and here, where they treated me, and I couldn't get better care and better medical attention than this," he told the PM.

According to reports, the incident occurred aboard flydubai flight FZ1073 while the aircraft was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Machchhar was allegedly attacked and stabbed by his co-pilot inside the cockpit. Despite his injuries, he managed to open the cockpit door, allowing others to intervene as the aircraft was in serious difficulty. The flight was subsequently diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where it made an emergency landing.

PM Modi praises Captain Machchhar’s courage

PM Modi began the conversation by asking Machchhar about his health. "How are you? How's your health now?" "Everything is fine, sir. Everything is fine," Machchhar replied. The Prime Minister then told the injured pilot that people across India were praying for his recovery and praised the courage and presence of mind he displayed during the emergency. "See, the whole country is praying for you. People are chanting Mahamrityunjaya Mantra for you everywhere. Your courage, your patience, and your wit...I mean, within a fraction of a second, you made a decision and saved so many lives."

PM Modi said Machchhar's actions had made the country proud and highlighted the fact that the pilot had prioritised the lives of passengers despite being seriously injured himself. "The entire country can proudly say that we Indians are not people who take lives; we are people who save lives," the Prime Minister said. PM Modi also recalled speaking to Machchhar's father Bhupendra, mother Geeta and wife Sonal. Referring to Machchhar's mother, he said her name was Geeta and that she had instilled in her son the values associated with the Bhagavad Gita.