The Indian pilot of a Flydubai aircraft who was stabbed by his co-pilot mid-flight has described how he fought to open the cockpit door while still under attack, saying he could not let others die.
Captain Smit Machchhar spoke to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a video call, recounting the moments during which he lay injured on the cockpit floor as the plane carrying more than 170 passengers began to lose altitude.
"I was lying on the floor injured but I told myself to go for one last push to open the door from inside," Machchhar said.
"Others came in and also played a role [in controlling the situation]. I was of course fighting for my own life but at the same time I knew I was not going to let others die," he added.
Flydubai flight FZ1073 was bound for Tel Aviv from Dubai when, approximately two and a half hours into the journey, it plunged more than 17,000 feet (5,200 metres). The incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
The aircraft first transmitted an emergency signal to air traffic controllers before switching to squawk code 7500, which indicates a hijacking.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later told media that one pilot had stabbed the other before "apparently trying to crash" the plane.
Passengers overpowered the attacker, after which two reserve pilots who were on board safely landed the aircraft at Tabuk Airport in north-western Saudi Arabia at 06:58 local time.
Machchhar was taken to hospital in Tabuk before being airlifted to Abu Dhabi, where he is reported to be in a stable condition. Netanyahu described him as a "true hero."
Netanyahu told a broadcaster that the attacker was an Omani national and said investigations suggested he had undergone "Islamist radical indoctrination." He added that once subdued and restrained by passengers and crew, the attacker was "calling out to the aircrew 'kill me, kill me', so it's clear he was suicidal - that's not a question."
The United Arab Emirates has launched an investigation into "whether the incident was linked to any terrorist activity or purpose," according to the country's state news agency.
