A man with a head bandage and tubes in his nose looked into a camera on Friday and told the Prime Minister of India that he had been fighting for his life. That man was Captain Smit Machchhar, and three days earlier he had been bleeding on a cockpit floor at thousands of feet, listening to a Boeing 737 fall.

Short answer: Captain Smit Machchhar was stabbed by his co-pilot on flydubai flight FZ1073 on September 30, 2026. He had surgery, is described as stable, and is recovering in a hospital in Abu Dhabi. Indian officials say he is in good health.

What happened on flight FZ1073

The flight left Dubai for Tel Aviv with a mostly Israeli passenger list. Partway through, according to Israeli and Saudi accounts, the Omani co-pilot attacked the captain with a knife. The jet then dropped sharply. Passengers who later described the scene said the plane fell so hard that its rudder was torn away.

Machchhar, hurt and knocked to the floor, managed to reach the cockpit door and open it. That let passengers and crew in to restrain the attacker. Crew members on duty, described by a regional official as pilots in training, then steadied the aircraft and landed it at Tabuk in northwest Saudi Arabia.

Reports differ on how many people were aboard. Some outlets say 174, while the Associated Press reported 182. The gap likely comes from whether crew are counted, and the airline has not settled it publicly.

How is he doing now?

Early reports said Machchhar was taken to a hospital in Saudi Arabia, where he underwent surgery and was listed as stable. He was later moved to Abu Dhabi. The Indian Embassy's message, as reported in headlines, is that he is in good health and recovering well.

The images from his call with Narendra Modi tell a more human story than any bulletin. He was bandaged and visibly emotional. He said he had many wounds, that he fell, and that at one point he understood that if he did not get up, the passengers would not live. He also said he prayed during those moments and credited the Hanuman Chalisa, a Hindu devotional hymn, with giving him courage.

Who is Captain Machchhar?

He is from Mumbai, is married, and has two children. By his own account he has flown for 17 years and has been a captain for 11. He spent 11 years at SpiceJet, where he served as a senior commander and line training captain, and joined flydubai about four years ago. His profile lists more than 9,750 hours on Boeing 737s.

That experience mattered in the worst minute of his career. He told Modi he can read what an aircraft is doing without seeing anything, and that lying on the floor he could feel it plunging. Knowing the plane was going down, he said, gave him the push to stand.

What the recovery looks like

Doctors have not released a detailed medical report, and flydubai has kept its statements short. A stab injury that needs surgery usually means days of observation, wound care, and a long rehabilitation period, and the psychological side often takes longer than the physical one. Pilots who live through a violent event in their own cockpit are typically assessed for stress reactions before any return to flying. Nobody has announced a timeline for Machchhar, and it would be wrong to guess at one.

Why this story is still moving

The attacker is an Omani citizen who was arrested in Saudi Arabia and then transferred to the UAE, where he faces a terrorism investigation, according to CNN. Israeli investigators have joined the questioning. His identity has not been made public, and his motive has not been established. Anything beyond that is speculation.

Frequently asked questions

Is Captain Smit Machchhar out of danger? Reports say he is stable after surgery and recovering well. No official medical bulletin with a discharge date has been released.

Where is he being treated? He was first treated in Saudi Arabia and is now recovering in a hospital in Abu Dhabi, according to the Associated Press.

Who attacked him? Authorities say the attacker was the flight's Omani co-pilot. His name has not been released, and he is under investigation in the UAE.

Did he land the plane himself? No. He opened the cockpit door so others could subdue the attacker. Crew members on duty, described as trainee pilots, landed the aircraft at Tabuk.

Will he fly again? There is no announcement on that. It depends on his medical clearance and his own decision.