Flydubai captain recounts the attack in the cockpit: The plane was falling, I had to open the door

The Indian captain of a Flydubai flight, Smit Machchhar, has recounted from hospital the difficult moments during the incident aboard the aircraft travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, after he was attacked by the co-pilot.

Machchhar, who is in Abu Dhabi and is reported to be in a stable condition, told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a conversation that, despite the wounds he received, he managed to open the cockpit door.

“I realised the plane was falling. I fell to the floor. I said to myself: the door is there, just open it. I managed to do it and people came in,” he recounted.

After the cockpit door was opened, several passengers entered and helped neutralise the co-pilot. Other crew members then took control of the aircraft, which was diverted and made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

The aircraft, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv and had 174 people on board, according to data published by Reuters. During the incident, the plane rapidly lost altitude before the situation was brought under control and the emergency landing was carried out.

The co-pilot, a citizen of Oman, was detained after the landing and is being questioned by the authorities. Investigations continue to determine the motive and the full circumstances of the incident. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the co-pilot had undergone a process of Islamist radicalisation, while the authorities have said the motive remains part of the investigation.

Captain Machchhar and the co-pilot were taken for medical treatment after the landing in Tabuk, while the captain was later transferred to the United Arab Emirates. The Indian Embassy has reported that he is recovering.

The incident occurred on September 30, while investigations by the Saudi, Emirati and Israeli authorities continue to fully clarify the attack and its motives.