Pilot Smit Machchhar Recounts Mid-Air Struggle for Survival
· World · ABC News (AU), Sky News, India Today
Captain Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot who thwarted a mid-flight attack, has described the ordeal from his hospital bed in Abu Dhabi. Machchhar told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he fought off his co-pilot while injured and managed to open the cockpit door to allow passengers to assist. The flight, carrying 174 people to Tel Aviv, experienced a rapid descent of nearly 14,000 feet before diverting to Saudi Arabia. Machchhar credited his survival and courage to the recitation of the Hanuman Chalisa. The pilot previously spent 11 years with SpiceJet before joining FlyDubai four years ago.
Why it matters
The pilot's actions prevented a potentially catastrophic crash, and his account provides critical details on the mid-air emergency.
Read the original report — ABC News (AU)
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