Flydubai captain recounts cockpit confrontation to Modi

Flydubai captain Smit Machchhar told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he was injured during a cockpit confrontation aboard a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv and, while sensing the aircraft descending, made a final attempt to open the cockpit door. The account of the incident remains under investigation, and the copilot’s actions and intent have not been established by investigative findings described in the report. Machchhar recounted the episode to Modi from his hospital bed on Friday, October 2. He said he had collapsed after sustaining injuries but could feel the aircraft going down. He described the door as within reach and said he made one last effort to open it. The flight was carrying mostly Israeli passengers, according to the report. The report says passengers and crew entered the cockpit after the door opened and became involved in a struggle. Two pilots who were travelling on the flight then took control of the cockpit, and the aircraft landed in Saudi Arabia. These details are reported without an independently documented flight record or separate witness account in the material provided.