Captain Smit Machchhar, seriously wounded in the attempted hijacking of Flydubai flight FZ 1073, spoke Friday with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi from his hospital bed. Machchhar described falling to the floor as the plane dove and pushing himself to open the cockpit door despite his stab wounds. Israeli media also reported that Free Palestine pamphlets were found among the belongings of the Omani terrorist co-pilot.
Captain Smit Machchhar provided his first personal testimony Friday in a phone call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi from his hospital bed in Abu Dhabi, describing how he forced open the cockpit door despite multiple stab wounds. The conversation was reported by Israeli media; Machchhar said, "I knew that if I didn't get up and act, no one would." Separately, i24NEWS reported that Free Palestine pamphlets were among the belongings of the Omani co-pilot who attacked him.
The Zioneer reported Thursday that the captain was in stable condition (Thu 17:06 Jerusalem) and that the Indian ambassador confirmed he was recovering and in good health (Thu 18:19). New footage released Friday (Fri 01:23) showed Machchhar being carried off the plane on a stretcher, and later video showed him describing that he could no longer close his hand after the co-pilot repeatedly hit him.
The attack occurred Wednesday on Flydubai flight FZ1073 en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The Omani co-pilot stabbed the captain and attempted to seize control of the Boeing 737, causing it to dive. Israeli passengers and crew subdued the attacker, and the aircraft made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz characterized the incident as a terrorist attack. The discovery of Free Palestine pamphlets among the suspect's belongings, as reported by i24NEWS, reinforces the assessment of an ideological motive.
The suspect remains in Saudi custody for questioning. The captain was transferred to Abu Dhabi for further treatment and is in stable condition. Coordination between Israel, the UAE, and Saudi authorities on the investigation and airline security protocols continues.
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