Sonal Machchhar, the wife of Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar, has recalled the shock and fear she experienced after learning that her husband had been attacked inside a Flydubai aircraft travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
She said she was left “very devastated” and initially struggled to process the news.
Speaking to CNN-News18, Sonal said the support of friends and family, along with updates from Indian authorities, helped her cope with the uncertainty surrounding her husband’s condition.
Sonal met her husband at a hospital in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, a visit that brought her some relief after the frightening ordeal. “I was very devastated. She added that having loved ones around her helped ease her fears as news of the captain’s condition began to emerge. “But as I had my friends and family around me, I was reassured that everything is okay. Her focus now is on helping him recover and return home. “I will not be able to talk to Mr Netanyahu.
And I didn’t have the mental capacity (to know) how I should react,” she said. And very soon, I started getting news that he is stable,” she said. “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 CNN-News18. “And I’m just hoping that he comes back home soon, and I’m going to do whatever it takes for his recovery,” she said. Asked about reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had expressed a wish to speak with Captain Machchhar, Sonal said her husband should respond once he has recovered sufficiently. I think Smit is the right person; he should answer to Mr Netanyahu,” she said.
What Happened Aboard The Flydubai Flight?
However, an Omani official told CBS News that the alleged attacker was born in Oman and held Omani citizenship, although Muscat has not formally confirmed his citizenship publicly. Earlier on Friday, Captain Machchhar spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the phone and recounted the moments when he realised the aircraft was losing altitude during the attack. “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. Modi praised Machchhar’s courage, patience and presence of mind, saying his actions had made the entire country proud. Despite suffering serious injuries, Captain Machchhar resisted the attacker and managed to unlatch the cockpit door. Other crew members and passengers then helped restrain the alleged assailant, while two off-duty pilots on board took control of the aircraft. The plane subsequently made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Further details about the incident and the subsequent investigation have emerged. The identity of the co-pilot has not been publicly disclosed. Following his arrest, the co-pilot was transferred to the United Arab Emirates. Israeli investigators have also travelled to the UAE to assist local authorities in examining the circumstances of the attack, including whether any outside parties were involved. Meanwhile, Captain Machchhar’s family is focused on his recovery after the incident, which placed the lives of everyone aboard the aircraft at risk. (With ANI inputs)
He said his 17 years of flying experience helped him recognise the danger even as he lay injured on the cockpit floor. The incident took place on September 30 aboard a Flydubai flight operating from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The confrontation reportedly triggered a steep descent, with the plane losing around 16,000 feet in two minutes before a hijacking distress signal was transmitted. All 180 people on board reportedly disembarked safely.
She added that he would speak to the Israeli Prime Minister when he was “in the right frame of mind”. The others also played an equal role in this,” Machchhar told the Prime Minister. The captain said he had been telling himself that he was fighting for his own survival, but knew deep down that he could not allow the passengers to die. The Omani co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain in an apparent attempt to bring down the aircraft, according to the account provided. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told CBS News that the attack occurred as the aircraft approached Israeli airspace.
