Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot of the Flydubai flight who was transferred Thursday to a hospital in the United Arab Emirates, appeared publicly for the first time Friday in footage from the hospital, speaking by video call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“I had so many injuries that I collapsed. I’ve been a captain for 11 years. I know, even with my eyes closed, what is happening with the aircraft. When I fell, I felt the plane descending, the nose going down, and I knew these were the final seconds. I tried to crawl. I opened the door, and everything else happened immediately after that. People in Saudi Arabia and here in the UAE took care of me, and I could not have received better treatment or medical attention,” Machchhar said.
The plane’s broken tail, seen in footage from Saudi Arabia
He added: “I realized that if I didn’t show courage, 170 passengers would lose their lives.”
Modi praised the captain, telling him: “The entire country is praying for you. The courage, composure and calm you showed saved many lives. The country can proudly say Indians are not people who take lives, but people who are prepared to risk their lives to save others.”
Machchhar replied: “I never thought I would have the opportunity to speak with you.”
Indian media reported Thursday that Machchhar, who was stabbed by his Omani co-pilot, underwent emergency surgery at a hospital in the Saudi city of Tabuk, where the aircraft landed. His family was making its way from Mumbai to Dubai.
The government of the Indian state of Gujarat said it would honor Machchhar with an award. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel praised the pilot’s “unwavering courage,” saying his actions saved the passengers’ lives.
Captain Smit during his evacuation from the plane in Saudi Arabia
Israeli investigators have still found no link between the Omani co-pilot and Iran, despite U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting Thursday that there could be a connection. The Omani co-pilot was also transferred Thursday from Saudi Arabia to the UAE.
Israel is seeking to send a team to the UAE in the coming days, though the move requires prior coordination. Emirati officials have conveyed anger to Israel over what they viewed as a premature Israeli conclusion that the co-pilot acted out of terrorist motives aimed at undermining the Abraham Accords, before the investigation had been completed.
An Israeli official said the word “terror” is particularly sensitive for the Emiratis because it could suggest a lack of control. Abu Dhabi therefore prefers not to get ahead of the investigation and, for now, is being cautious in drawing conclusions about the Omani pilot’s motives.
A senior Israeli official said the pilot most likely acted alone. After Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News that the Omani had undergone “Islamist radical indoctrination,” the official said Israel was examining the suspect’s activity on social media. At the same time, Israeli assessments are increasingly leaning toward a nationalist and religious motive rather than a suicide attempt.
Israel had asked to participate as an observer in the investigation in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, but Riyadh did not agree. Now that the co-pilot has been transferred to the UAE, Israel is counting on its close ties and cooperation with Abu Dhabi to become as involved as possible in the investigation, even if only as an observer.