Dubai: Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called Indian pilot Smit Machchhar a “hero of the entire world” for foiling an alleged attempt by the co-pilot to crash an Israel-bound flight, as he spoke with him over the phone.
Captain Machchhar was attacked and seriously injured by his co-pilot in the cockpit of flydubai flight FZ1073 on Wednesday while the aircraft was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
Netanyahu spoke to Machchhar on Saturday, who is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in the UAE. A video clip of the call, with the phone on loudspeaker, was shared on social media.
During the call, Netanyahu also invited the pilot and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to light a flame on Israeli Independence Day.
“It’s our highest honour that we give on our Independence Day. It’s usually reserved for Israeli citizens, but I think here in this case, all the citizens of Israel will embrace you…So we hope to see you very soon in Israel,” Netanyahu said during his conversation with 38-year-old Machchhar.
Israel’s Independence Day, or Yom Ha’atzmaut, is celebrated on the fifth day of the Hebrew month of Iyar, which falls in late April or early May.
“You are a hero for Israel, India, and the entire world. I invite Prime Minister @NarendraModi and you to light a flame on Israeli Independence Day,” the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel posted on X on Saturday.
“During the emotional conversation that took place this evening, the Prime Minister asked Captain Machchhar how it all started, and Machchhar revealed new details about the terrifying moments in the cockpit,” the post read.
Machchhar told him that before the attack, the co-pilot wanted to pray. “While he was praying, out of respect, I was just looking at the front and not at the back, and suddenly, after, I would say about four-five minutes, there was a big blow to the back of my head.”
“My first thought was that there was catastrophic damage to the aircraft and something was not right. But then after that, the blows kept coming one after the other, and that’s when I realised that it’s not the aircraft, it’s the other guy who was in the cockpit with me,” said the Indian pilot.
“I did try to stop him, but because of his initial blows, my vision was almost like nothing. And I was completely blurred out,” he said.
Machchhar said he then realised that the aircraft was “sharply going down” and that his memory of the incident remained “in bits and pieces”.
He said he managed to open the cockpit door once, but the co-pilot shut it again, leaving him on the cockpit floor as he heard the aircraft and “people screaming”. “I had that one last fight left in me that, you know, call it personal or call it for people. But let’s say I did it, that if I don’t do it, I’m going to die,” he said.
“And that’s when I pushed against everything. I gave everything that I had and just went for the door and opened the door. And thankfully, people were waiting to bounce back. [They] took over the control, and the rest is what you know, sir,” the Indian flight captain added.
Netanyahu told him he was “amazed” at his courage and his “coolness of judgment under impossible conditions.”
“You saved so many souls. I think you saved something bigger. You saved the spirit of the world…It’s something that is being justly hailed around the world. You’re a hero of Israel. You’re a hero of India. You’re a hero of the entire world,” Netanyahu told Machchhar.
“You know, I guess it’s a twist of fate, and a twist of faith, and what you did is remarkable. I heard, of course, from the Israeli passengers what transpired after that, and you’re a great hero, and you were accompanied by heroes, and you saved the day,” Netanyahu added.
An Omani citizen, Hamam al-Hammami, has been identified as the flydubai co-pilot who attacked Machchhar and allegedly attempted to take control of the flight, according to reports published by multiple news outlets, including the Wall Street Journal and CNN.
Al-Hammami was previously barred from flying in Oman over concerns about his radical ideological views, the reports said, quoting people familiar with the matter.
He attacked Machchhar with a crash axe, typically kept in the cockpit for use in emergencies, seriously injuring him. The motive for the attack remains unclear.
The flight, carrying 174 passengers, transmitted emergency signals and made a rapid descent of more than 17,000 feet from 34,000 feet.
Captain Machchhar was lying injured on the cockpit floor when he realised the plane was descending but managed to push open the cockpit door, which enabled passengers to overpower the attacker.
Two reserve pilots landed the aircraft safely at Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Airport in Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk city, where al-Hammami was taken into custody and Machchhar was taken to a nearby hospital before being airlifted to Abu Dhabi.
The UAE, which is leading the investigation, said on Saturday that its investigation had revealed the co-pilot attempted to carry out a “terrorist act”.
On Friday, Machchhar spoke to PM Modi over a video call, recounting the terrifying moments after being attacked. He said he was fighting for his life but was determined not to let others die.
The pilot is in stable condition, and he is “recovering well”, the Indian Embassy in the UAE said on Sunday.
“He is recovering well and in good spirits. Embassy remains in touch with the local authorities and the family and extending all possible assistance,” the Indian Ambassador to the UAE, Deepak Mittal, posted on X.
Prayers were held at the Hindu temple of BAPS (Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam) of the Swaminarayan sect in Abu Dhabi, for Captain Machchhar, honouring his courage and bravery.
Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on Saturday visited Machchhar in hospital and praised the Indian pilot for his courage and sense of responsibility. Hamdan, who is also the UAE’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, said the flydubai pilot had “embodied the highest degrees of courage, responsibility, and care for human life.”
Netanyahu had earlier met four Israeli passengers, who helped overpower the attacker, hearing their account of the struggle to save the aircraft. The passengers said they tied the co-pilot with a headphone cable after he was subdued.
The Israeli PM praised their “supreme heroism, resourcefulness, and faith”, saying they had prevented a major disaster and saved many lives. He also said the passengers would light a torch of civic heroism on Israel’s Independence Day.
In an interview with CNN on Wednesday evening, Netanyahu said the injured pilot, passengers and other crew members had “managed to prevent a 9/11 disaster”.
Speaking to Fox News on Thursday, the Israeli PM said the attacker shouted “Kill me, kill me!” after being subdued on the flight, adding that the remark suggested the attacker was suicidal and that it appeared he had intended to bring down the plane. He also said the attacker had “undergone Islamist radical indoctrination”.
Meanwhile, authorities in Australia and Israel are investigating the Omani co-pilot’s links to Australia and how he came to be part of the crew of a flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv, as the UAE-led probe examines his motives and connections, according to media reports.
