Smit Machchhar tells PM Modi ‘one last push’, Hanuman Chalisa got him through Flydubai cockpit attack

By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – Indian pilot Smit Machchhar on Friday told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that ‘one last push’, Hanuman Chalisa got him through Flydubai cockpit attack.

The injured Flydubai captain gave Prime Minister Narendra Modi a gripping account of those moments during a video recalling how he forced himself towards the door despite his injuries and helped allow others to enter the cockpit and overpower the co-pilot.

The flight, carrying 174 people, later landed safely in Saudi Arabia.

PM Modi also spoke to Machchhar’s mother, Geetaben, and assured the injured pilot’s family of assistance as he continues his recovery after the mid-air attack.

Captain Smit Machchhar knew he had one chance left: reach the cockpit door with blows still landing on him and the aircraft losing altitude,.

“When I was down on the floor, I sensed that the aircraft was going down. And I knew for sure: ‘This is the one last push, Smit. Just do it. The door is right there’,” Machchhar told the Prime Minister.

“Even as blows were still landing on me, I just managed to open it, sir. Then everyone else arrived. The others also played an equal role in this,” he said.

Machchhar said that even while fighting for his own survival, he knew what could happen to those aboard if he failed to act.

“Consciously, I was telling everyone that I was acting for my own survival, but at the same time, I knew deep down that I could not let all of them die,” he said.

His actions have been credited with helping avert a major disaster aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073, which was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the cockpit confrontation broke out. Reuters reported that Machchhar, despite being seriously injured, managed to unlock the cockpit door before passengers and crew overpowered the co-pilot.

PM Modi praised the captain’s split-second decisions during the emergency.

“Your courage, your patience, and your presence of mind. You made crucial decisions in fractions of a second and saved so many lives,” the Prime Minister told him.

He added: “Today, the entire nation can proudly say that we Indians are not people who take lives — we are people who save lives.”

The conversation also turned deeply personal as Machchhar became emotional while speaking to the Prime Minister.

He told PM Modi that he had never imagined he would get an opportunity to speak to him and described the Prime Minister as his “biggest idol”.

“I never thought I’d be talking to you right now,” Machchhar said.

PM Modi responded: “If you aren’t emotional in front of me, then where will you be?”

The Prime Minister told the injured captain that he could reach out whenever he needed assistance.

“Smit, whenever you need me, I am just a phone call away,” PM Modi said.

“India is waiting to welcome you back and is very excited for it,” he added.

Machchhar also revealed what helped him stay composed while he was injured inside the cockpit.

“Whenever I feel afraid, only one thing comes to mind: I recite the Hanuman Chalisa. Even during that ordeal, I was continuously reciting the Hanuman Chalisa. I know that God’s grace was with me,” he told Modi.

He said he also regularly recites it with his two-year-old son as his family tries to remain connected to its culture while living outside India.

Modi later spoke to Machchhar’s mother, Geetaben, and referred to the values with which she had raised her son.

Machchhar, who is undergoing treatment after the attack, told the Prime Minister he expected his recovery to take time but remained confident of returning to full health.

“I am thinking of it as a journey that will happen slowly. And it will take time, but I am very, very confident that I will recover. And I will be completely healthy,” he said.

PM Modi wished him a speedy recovery and said people across India were praying for his health.

Prime Minister had publicly praised Machchhar’s courage, saying his actions had helped avert a major tragedy.

The Prime Minister’s Office described Machchhar as seriously injured during the incident and credited his “immense courage” and determination with helping save lives.

The aircraft had to divert to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia after the cockpit attack. All 174 people aboard survived.