“Just do it… door is right there”: Captain Smit recalls final push to save Flydubai passengers; Indian PM Modi says “we Indians save lives”

NEW DELHI: Captain Smit Machchhar, who helped avert a major tragedy after being attacked by his co-pilot on a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight, told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that despite being severely injured and fighting for his own life, he made “one last push” to reach the cockpit door as he could not let all the passengers die.

Speaking to PM Modi over the phone on Friday, Machchhar recalled the moments after he collapsed to the floor following the attack and said his 17 years of flying experience helped him realise that the aircraft was going down.

“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,” Machchhar told the Prime Minister.

The Captain said that while he was consciously telling himself that he was acting for his own survival, he knew deep down that he could not allow the passengers to die.

“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.

Machchhar also told PM Modi that he had been flying aircraft for 17 years and had served as a captain for the last 11 years.