Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 2 (ANI): Actor Varun Dhawan has praised Captain Smit Machchhar for his courage during the flydubai mid-air crisis, saying the pilot’s actions have inspired and filled Indians with pride.
On his Instagram stories, Dhawan wrote, “Salute to our Capt. Smit Machchhachar. Your courage and bravery fills all of us with pride, What an inspiration. Jai Hind”
Varun Dhawan’s tribute comes amid widespread recognition of Machchhar’s actions during the incident, with public displays carrying the message “Thank you Captain Smit” also appearing in Mumbai.
Captain Machchhar, who is recovering from injuries in a UAE hospital, recently recounted his ordeal during a phone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.
He said that despite being severely injured after an attack by his co-pilot, he realised the aircraft was going down and made “one last push” to reach the cockpit door.
“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. The others also played an equal role in this,” Capt Machchhar told PM Modi.
The captain said he was consciously thinking about his own survival but also knew he could not allow the passengers to die.
“Consciously, I was telling everyone that I was acting for my own survival, but at the same time, I knew deep down that I could not let all of them die,” he said.
The September 30 security crisis involved the flydubai flight operating from Dubai to Tel Aviv, where the Omani co-pilot allegedly stabbed the commander in an apparent terror-driven attempt to bring down the plane. The confrontation triggered a steep descent, causing the aircraft to drop approximately 16,000 feet within two minutes prior to the transmission of a hijacking distress signal.
Despite sustaining severe injuries, Captain Smit Machchhar fiercely resisted the assailant. Assisted by flight crew members and passengers who breached the flight deck to restrain the attacker, the crew successfully reasserted command of the aircraft. The plane subsequently touched down safely during an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, ensuring that all 180 occupants disembarked without injury.
India’s ambassador to the UAE, Deepak Mittal, has said Machchhar is in stable condition and recovering well. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has also announced the ‘Visisht Gujarat Garima Award’ for the captain. (ANI)
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