January 1, Indian Pilot’s Courage Prevents Mid-Air Disaster

Wyatt’s Take

• Captain Machchhar fought through a brutal attack to save every passenger on that plane.
• His quick thinking and faith turned certain tragedy into a story of courage and survival.
• World leaders are praising the pilot’s actions that kept families safe and the aircraft in the air.

Captain Smit Machchhar opened the cockpit door after being stabbed by his copilot during the terrifying flight.

“You are my biggest idol, and I am feeling very proud that you called me and encouraged me. I was fighting for my life in that moment,” he told Modi during a Friday phone call.

“It was a moment when I thought, because I had fallen on the floor, I was wounded and fell down. At that moment, I thought if I don’t get up, I’ve been flying for the last 17 years and I have been a captain for the last 11 years, and even if I shut my eyes, I can tell what is happening inside a plane. When I was lying on the floor, I could feel that the aircraft was plunging, and I said to myself while I was getting beaten, ‘This is the last push Smit, do it, the door is right there,'” he recalled.

“Somehow, I opened the door and everyone came in and everyone else had an equal role (in the rescue). I was trying to save myself, but I also knew that I can’t let anyone die,” he said.

Machchhar’s quick action let Israeli passengers rush in, stop the copilot, and pull the plane out of its steep dive.

“Whenever I’m in pain, I know only one thing, I chant the Hanuman Chalisa. I know that God saved me,” Machchhar said.

Modi told the pilot that people across India were praying for his recovery.

“Yesterday, prayers and chants were offered in all the temples and holy places, wishing for your long life, and we all are praying for your good health. You are going to be in good health very soon and India is very eager to welcome you,” Modi said.

“People are chanting mantras. Your courage, patience, and presence of mind. You took a decision in a fraction of a second and saved the lives of so many people and today, the whole country can say this with pride — we Indians are not killers, we are lifesavers,” Modi said. “And you endured so many wounds on your body and you are fighting a battle of life and death. In that moment as well, you did not think of your life, rather thought about the lives of the passengers. And the biggest thing is you enhanced the honor of 1.4 billion Indians and that is why I am feeling proud from my heart.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Machchhar was stabbed in the head and his arm was basically split in two during the attack.

“I am not thinking about my wounds like typical wounds because that will hinder my recovery. I am taking these wounds like a journey which will progress slowly, and it will take time, but I am very confident that this recovery will happen, and I will be absolutely healthy,” Machchhar told Modi.

The plane landed safely in Saudi Arabia with a second crew before the pilot was taken to a hospital in the UAE.

“I am fine and everything is all right,” he told Modi.

Wyatt Matters

Real heroes put the safety of others first, even when they are bleeding and fighting for their own lives. Captain Machchhar showed the kind of quiet strength and faith that working families respect and admire.