Captain Smit Machchhar has publicly recounted his experience during an in-flight incident involving an attempted breach of the cockpit on a flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv. According to the pilot, the situation escalated to a physical confrontation where he was forced to fight to maintain control of the aircraft. Machchhar stated that he sustained significant injuries during the struggle, which left him collapsed and fearing the plane was losing altitude.

In a video call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Machchhar described the event as a fight for his life, emphasizing that his primary motivation was the safety of the more than 170 passengers on board. He credited a final, desperate effort to secure the cockpit door as the turning point that prevented a potential crash. The pilot is currently recovering from his injuries in an Abu Dhabi hospital. While the account highlights the pilot's actions in preventing a catastrophe, the report focuses primarily on his personal testimony provided to government officials. There is currently limited information regarding the identity or motives of the individual who attempted to enter the cockpit, as the provided source focuses exclusively on the pilot's perspective and his conversation with the Prime Minister.