An Indian pilot, Smit Machchhar, stated that he opened the cockpit door of a Flydubai plane during an attack by his co-pilot to allow passengers to enter and stop a rapid descent.
Captain Machchhar reported that he was on the floor and still being assaulted by his co-pilot when he recognized the plane was sinking. He described pushing to open the door from the inside, stating that others then entered and assisted in regaining control of the situation.
The incident forced the plane, which was en route to Tel Aviv from Dubai, to divert to Saudi Arabia. Captain Machchhar was taken to a hospital in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, and later airlifted to Abu Dhabi, where he is reported to be in a stable condition.
Both Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have praised Captain Machchhar for his bravery and quick actions, with Modi stating that the captain’s courage saved many lives.
Source: bbc.co.uk
