Narendra Modi says "courage, patience, and presence of mind" after pilot thwarted attack

During a televised conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Captain Smit Machchhar – an Indian pilot who was stabbed by his co‑pilot on a FlyDubai Boeing 737 traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv – said he had to get back up despite serious injuries to keep the aircraft from crashing. His effort let passengers enter the cockpit and restrain the attacker, and the plane later made a safe landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, with all 182 occupants alive. Modi commended the captain’s bravery, composure and quick thinking, which officials said prevented a disaster. The assailant, an Omani national, was taken into custody in Saudi Arabia; investigators have not yet disclosed a motive.