'I was very devastated': Capt Smit Machchhar’s wife recounts horrifying moments after flydubai cockpit attack

“I was very devastated. And I didn't have the mental capacity (to know) how I should react.” Those were the words of Sonal Machchhar, wife of Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar, as she recalled the shock of learning that her husband had been attacked inside the cockpit of a flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv.

Speaking to CNN-News18, Sonal said the presence of friends and family around her, along with updates from Indian authorities, helped her cope with the uncertainty as news emerged about her husband's condition.

Also read: Flydubai attack was a ‘terrorist act’, UAE official says; praises captain Smit Machchhar for saving flight


“But as I had my friends and family around me, I was reassured that everything is okay. And very soon, I started getting news that he is stable,” she said.

Sonal later met Machchhar at a hospital in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, an encounter that eased some of the anxiety surrounding his condition.

“I met him on Thursday, and that gives me reassurance that he is in the right hands-very good care, under the good care of UAE doctors, military doctors,” she told the news outlet.

Her focus now, she said, is on helping her husband recover and return home.

“And I'm just hoping that he comes back home soon, and I'm going to do everything what it takes for his recovery,” Sonal said.

Wife says Machchhar will speak to Netanyahu when he recovers

Asked about reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wanted to speak to the injured pilot, Sonal said Machchhar himself should have that conversation once he has recovered sufficiently.

“I will not be able to talk to Mr Netanyahu. I think Smit is the right person; he should answer to Mr Netanyahu,” she said, adding that “he will definitely talk to him once he is in the right frame of mind.”

Machchhar himself described the moments after the attack during a phone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. Recalling how he had fallen to the floor after being assaulted, the captain said his 17 years of flying experience immediately told him the aircraft was descending dangerously.

“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.' 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,” Machchhar told Modi.

The captain said he was consciously thinking about his own survival but also knew that he could not let the passengers die.

Modi praised Machchhar's courage, patience and presence of mind and said his actions had made the country proud.

Also read: Flydubai pilot recounts terrifying attack to PM Modi

Flydubai flight plunged 16,000 feet during cockpit struggle

The security crisis unfolded on September 30 aboard a flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The co-pilot allegedly attacked and stabbed the commander in what authorities have described as an apparent attempt to bring down the aircraft.

The confrontation triggered a steep descent, with the aircraft dropping about 16,000 feet in two minutes before a hijacking distress signal was transmitted.

Machchhar, despite suffering severe injuries, resisted the attacker. Flight crew members and passengers then entered the cockpit and helped restrain the assailant, allowing control of the aircraft to be restored.

The aircraft eventually made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, with all 180 people on board disembarking safely.

The incident occurred as the flight was approaching Israeli airspace, according to remarks by Netanyahu to CBS News. Machchhar managed to repel the co-pilot sufficiently to open the cockpit door, while two off-duty aviators on board helped take control of the aircraft during the emergency landing.

The co-pilot's identity has not been publicly disclosed. An Omani official told CBS News that the assailant was born in Oman and is an Omani citizen, although Muscat has not publicly confirmed his citizenship.

After his arrest, the co-pilot was transferred to the UAE. Israeli investigators have since travelled to the UAE to join the investigation being led by local authorities and examine whether the attack may have involved outside actors.