“I was not going to let others die,” a Flydubai aircraft pilot says of a co-pilot’s attack on the cockpit.

The Indian pilot of the Flydubai aircraft, who opened the cockpit door to let others on after being attacked by his co-pilot, stated he was adamant about not letting anyone perish. Capt. Smit Machchhar claimed that while he was still being attacked on the ground, he became aware that the aircraft carrying over 170 people was sinking and that he needed to do action.

“I was lying on the floor injured but I told myself to go for one last push to open the door from inside,” he said in a video call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Others came in and also played a role [in controlling the situation]. I was of course fighting for my own life but at the same time I knew I was not going to let others die,” he added.

Two and a half hours into its voyage, Flydubai’s flight FZ1073, which was headed for Tel Aviv from Dubai early on Wednesday morning, dropped more than 17,000 feet (5,200 meters). Before changing to code squawk 7500, which denotes hijacking, it initially issued an emergency signal to air traffic controllers.

Afterward, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed the media that one pilot had stabbed the other before “apparently trying to wreck” the aircraft. Two onboard reserve pilots safely landed the aircraft at Tabuk Airport in northwest Saudi Arabia at 06:58 local time after other passengers overcame the assailant. After being transported to a hospital in Tabuk, Machchhar—who Netanyahu has called a “genuine hero”—was airlifted to Abu Dhabi, where his health is said to be stable.

According to Netanyahu, the attacker was an Omani national who may have been subjected to “Islamist extremist brainwashing” based on investigations. He claimed that the assailant was “crying out to the pilots ‘kill me, kill me’,” so it’s evident he was suicidal – that’s not a question” after being overpowered and restrained by passengers and crew. The United Arab Emirates has began investigating “if the incident was linked to any terrorist action or objective”, according to the country’s main news agency. Since his identity became public, Machchhar has received a lot of admiration on Indian social media.

He informed Modi that he “can detect what is happening to the plane even with my eyes closed” after 17 years of flying aircraft. “His courage, patience, and swift decision-making saved the lives of so many people,” the prime minister informed him. The Indian embassy in the UAE on Thursday said Machchhar was “in good health and recovering well”. Ambassador Deepak Mittal said he was “proud of Capt Smit for his bravery” and “very reassured” to meet him.

“I am not looking at this wound like a wound because that would make my recovery even more difficult,” Machchhar said. “I am looking at it as a journey which is slowly going on and will take time but I am confident that the recovery will be there and I will become fit and healthy again.”