‘I recited Hanuman Chalisa’: ‘Hero’ pilot Captain Smit Machchaar recounts flydubai stabbing incident to PM Modi | Today’s news
Pilot Captain Smit Machchaar told Prime Minister Narendra during a telephone conversation on Friday that he recited the Hanuman Chalisa while dealing with the stabbing incident on an Israel-bound flydubau flight on Wednesday.
“I recited Hanuman Chalisa even during the incident,” Smit Machchaar told PM Modi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spoke to Captain Smit Machchaar, who thwarted his co-pilot’s attempt to allegedly crash an Israel-bound flydubai flight, and applauded his bravery.
During the phone interview, Machchaar gave details of his experiences and what gave him courage during the incident, government sources said.
Prime Minister Modi applauded the pilot’s bravery and wished him a speedy recovery, sources said.
Faced with gravest danger and despite being seriously injured, Machchhar showed immense courage and unwavering determination to protect the lives of others, the Prime Minister said on Thursday.
PM Modi said Machchhar is a “HERO” and his courage helped save hundreds of lives and avert a major tragedy.
Addressing the centenary celebrations of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), the Prime Minister also said that the pilot of the flydubai flight had shown great patience, acumen and bravery.
“And as the Israeli Prime Minister (Benjamin Netanyahu) said today that this Indian foiled 9/11 (as an attack). For every Indian, Smit’s bravery fills our hearts with pride,” he said.
PM Modi also spoke to Machchhar’s wife and parents and applauded his bravery that saved hundreds of lives.
The flydubai incident
flydubai flight FZ1073, which was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv, on Wednesday sent emergency signals and made a sharp descent of more than 17,000 feet from an altitude of 34,000 feet before diverting to Prince Sultan Bin Abdel Aziz Airport in the Saudi city of Tabuk. There were 174 passengers on board, including 27 children.
Videos circulating on social media show the pilot covered in blood, wearing an oxygen mask and lying on his back in the plane’s galley.
Netanyahu said in a statement that an Israeli passenger told him the plane had entered a corkscrew and started to descend, after which the passenger and a crew member managed to get into the cockpit and together overpowered the pilot, who had carried out the stabbing while trying to sabotage the plane’s systems.
