NEW DELHI — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a video call Friday with Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot who was injured after being stabbed by his co-pilot during a Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv.
Machchhar spoke with Modi from a hospital bed and recounted
the tense moments he experienced during the incident on Wednesday aboard flight
FZ1073, which was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with 174 people on board.
According to his own account, after being attacked and
seriously wounded, he noticed the plane beginning to lose altitude. Despite his
injuries, he managed to get up and open the cockpit door, allowing several
passengers to enter and help subdue the co-pilot.
The plane descended approximately 14,000 feet in less than
30 seconds before the situation was brought under control. Other pilots on
board later helped regain control of the aircraft, which made an emergency
landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
During the conversation, Machchhar explained that he has 17
years of experience as a pilot and 11 as a captain. He also recounted how,
during the most critical moments, he turned to prayer as he tried to stay alive
and protect those on board.
Modi expressed his appreciation to the pilot and praised his
actions during the emergency. The president also wished him a speedy recovery.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances
of the attack and the co-pilot's possible motives. The UAE Public Prosecutor's
Office has opened an investigation to determine what happened and whether there
was any connection to terrorist activity or prior planning.
So far, authorities have asked the public to avoid premature
conclusions while evidence is being gathered.El episodio puso nuevamente bajo
atención la seguridad dentro de las cabinas de los aviones y el riesgo que
pueden representar las amenazas provenientes del propio personal de vuelo.