Smit Machchhar’s father-in-law is proud that the pilot saved his passengers’ lives by fending off an axe attack from his co-pilot, who was allegedly attempting to crash the flydubai flight. He is also proud of the fact that he saved Indian pilots from infamy that could have sparked prejudice against them in the future.
“Had the plane crashed, it would have sent a wrong message to the world that the plane crashed under an Indian pilot’s stewardship. Hence, Smit has done great work for society, the state and the country. He also reminisced about the time when he first learned about his son-in-law’s heroics.
We are all very proud of him,” said Jaysukh Jogi, the pilot’s father-in-law.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spoke with the hero pilot and praised his courage, patience, and presence of mind. “You sustained such a severe injury and were fighting for your life.
Yet, even then, you did not care for your life; you cared for the lives of all the passengers,” he said. The pilot told the prime minister that even when injured, he could feel that the plane had been plummeting. He also said that he recited the Hanuman Chalisa during his fight. Smit’s father-in-law said that the fact that the plane didn’t crash despite the Omani pilot’s attack was nothing short of a miracle.
