Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar, who fought off an attacking co-pilot aboard a Flydubai aircraft and helped save 174 people onboard, is continuing to make steady progress in his recovery, the Indian Embassy in the UAE confirmed on Tuesday, 6 October.

'Health Update: Capt Smit continues to make steady progress and is regaining his health. The Embassy remains in close touch with his family, doctors and local authorities, extending all possible assistance. We thank everyone for their prayers and wish him a speedy recovery,' the Embassy said in a post on X.

The Cockpit Ordeal in Machchhar's Own Words

On Saturday, Captain Machchhar recounted the terrifying sequence of events inside the cockpit. He said the flight had begun as a completely routine journey. His co-pilot told him he wanted to pray — a practice Machchhar described as common among local passengers and crew — and out of respect, Machchhar turned to face forward.

'While he was praying, out of respect, I was looking at the front and not at the back, and suddenly, after about four to five minutes, there was a big blow to the back of my head,' Machchhar said.

His immediate instinct, he said, was that the aircraft itself had suffered catastrophic damage. 'My first thought was that there was catastrophic damage to the aircraft, that something is not right... but after that the blows kept coming, one after the other and that's when I realised that it's not the aircraft, it's the other guy who is in the cockpit with me,' he recounted.

Vision Lost, Aircraft Diving

The initial blows severely impaired Machchhar's vision, hampering his ability to fight back. 'I did try and stop him, but because of his initial blows, my vision was almost like nothing, and I was completely blurred out,' he said.

He recalled the horrifying moment he sensed the aircraft entering a sharp descent. 'And at that point, the next feeling I had was that the aircraft was sharply going down,' he said, adding that his memory of the sequence remains fragmented. 'My memory is still in bits and pieces right now, but this is what I remember out of that time.'

Machchhar said he managed to open the cockpit door once during the struggle, but believes the co-pilot closed it again. 'I did try and manage to open the door once, but I think he shut it back closed. And at this point, I remember, I was lying down on the cockpit floor, and I felt the aircraft and the whooshing sound and people screaming,' he said.

The Final Push That Saved 174 Lives

It was at that moment, Machchhar said, that he made a final decision. Battered, barely able to see, and lying on the cockpit floor, he resolved to make one last attempt to reach the door.

'And as I was telling the Ambassador here, I had that one last fight left in me... Call it personal or call it for people, I did it because if I didn't do it, I was going to die, and that's when I pushed against everything... I gave everything that I had and went for the door and opened the door,' he said.

Recognition at the Highest Level

Captain Machchhar's account was delivered while speaking to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who extended a remarkable personal invitation — asking both Machchhar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to light a celebratory flame at Israel's next Independence Day ceremony. The invitation underscores the international recognition the Indian pilot has received for his extraordinary act of courage.

The Indian Embassy has said it remains in active contact with Machchhar's family, medical team, and local authorities in the UAE, and has pledged all possible assistance as he continues his recovery.