On Friday, October 2, 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a video call with Captain Smit Machchhar (also spelled Machhar/Machchhar), the Indian pilot who was seriously injured while preventing a potential mid-air disaster.

What happened

On Wednesday (around September 30/October 1, 2026), Flydubai Flight FZ1073 was en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv with roughly 170–174 people on board (passengers and crew). The Omani co-pilot allegedly attacked and stabbed Captain Smit in the cockpit and attempted to interfere with the controls, causing the Boeing 737 to plunge thousands of feet rapidly.

Despite his severe injuries and while fighting for his own life, Captain Smit managed to open/unlock the cockpit door. Passengers and crew then rushed in and overpowered the co-pilot. Two off-duty pilots on board helped land the aircraft safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

 The call with PM Modi

During the video interaction from his hospital bed (reports place him recovering in the UAE after initial treatment), Captain Smit told the Prime Minister:

- He was constantly reciting the Hanuman Chalisa for courage.

- After being attacked and falling, he knew he had only seconds: “This is the one last push… the door is right there.”

- Even while fighting for his own survival, he could not let the passengers die.

PM Modi praised his courage, patience, presence of mind, and split-second decisions. He said Smit had shown the world that “Indians do not take lives, Indians save lives,” noted that the whole country (and temples including Somnath and Kashi Vishwanath) was praying for him, and told him India is waiting to welcome him back. He also mentioned speaking earlier with Smit’s parents (Bhupendra and Geeta) and wife (Sonal).

Captain Smit, originally from Gujarat and previously with SpiceJet before joining Flydubai, has been widely hailed as a hero by Indian leaders, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu (who credited him with saving 174 lives), and others internationally. He is reported to be stable and recovering well.