The Indian pilot who helped thwart an apparent attempt to crash a flydubai flight to Tel Aviv said his faith and his desire to save his passengers allowed him to make a “last push” to open the cockpit door as he fought for his life.

Capt Smit Machchhar, who was recovering in an Abu Dhabi hospital, described to India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, how he helped save the plane and its more than 170 passengers.

“I had suffered so many injuries that I had collapsed. At that time, I could feel that the aircraft was going down. I knew this was the last push,” Machchhar told Modi in a video call on Friday. “I was fighting for my life. At one point, I realised that if I didn’t get up … then passengers would lose their lives.”

His Omani co-pilot apparently stabbed him and set the plane on a steep descent, with the aircraft plummeting about 17,000 feet in the span of a minute. While still being attacked, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to enter, subdue the attacker and ultimately stabilise the plane.

The full circumstances of the attack are still under investigation, but a relief crew on the flight helped land the plane safely in Tabouk, north-west Saudi Arabia. Saudi authorities arrested the co-pilot and have since interrogated him.

Machchhar, a father of two, was seriously injured during the attack, but credited his 17 years of aviation experience with giving him the wherewithal to understand the gravity of the situation.

Modi praised the captain for his actions, which he said helped prevent a “great tragedy.”

“You have done such a great thing that people across the country and around the world are eager to see you and speak to you,” Modi told him. “You have truly made the whole country proud.”

The motives and affiliation of the apparent attacker are still unknown, but Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said that an initial background investigation indicated he had undergone “Islamic radical indoctrination”.

The attacker is to be sent back to the United Arab Emirates, where Emirati investigators will work to establish any links with terror organisations. Netanyahu said Israel would cooperate with the UAE on the investigation.

Machchhar was hailed as a hero by world leaders, who said his actions had helped prevent a great disaster and save many lives.

The pilot said that during the difficult moments he recited the Hanuman Chalisa, a devotional hymn dedicated to the Hindu deity Hanuman and traditionally recited as a prayer for strength and courage.

“Lord Hanuman gave me courage,” Machchhar told Modi.

He added that he felt proud of himself for the first time since the attack. “I am feeling very proud right now. I had not felt proud of myself until now,” he told Modi.

“I am not thinking of it as a wound, I am thinking of it as a journey,” he said, while covered in bandages. “And it will take time, but I am very, very confident that I will recover.”