Captain Smit Machchhar: The hero Indian pilot who helped save 174 lives on flydubai flight

New Delhi: Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian pilot with flydubai, has been credited by Israeli officials with helping avert a major mid-air disaster after a violent altercation erupted in the cockpit of flight FZ1073.

The Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight was diverted to Saudi Arabia after the captain was allegedly stabbed by his co-pilot.

The Boeing 737 flight was carrying more than 170 passengers. According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the co-pilot attacked Machchhar and attempted to interfere with the aircraft's controls. Despite being injured, Machchhar is reported to have opened the cockpit door, allowing a crew member and passengers to enter and restrain the other pilot.

The aircraft experienced a sharp loss of altitude during the struggle before control was restored. It was subsequently diverted to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. All passengers were reported safe, while both pilots were taken for medical treatment. India's embassy in Riyadh later said Machchhar was in stable condition.

Machchhar has been flying with flydubai since June 2022, according to his LinkedIn profile, after spending more than a decade with Indian low-cost carrier SpiceJet. Reports citing his professional profile say he has more than 13 years of commercial aviation experience and has accumulated nearly 10,000 hours of flying experience on Boeing 737 aircraft.

Before joining flydubai, Machchhar served in several roles at SpiceJet, including as a line-training captain and senior commander. He joined the airline in 2011 and moved to flydubai as a direct-entry captain in 2022.

According to accounts of his career, Machchhar initially pursued studies connected to his family's textile business before deciding to enter aviation. He has spoken in a podcast about discovering his interest in flying while attending an aviation-related seminar during a management course.

He subsequently underwent pilot training in New Zealand. In the podcast, Machchhar recalled that his training cost around Rs 16-17 lakh and that his mother was initially worried about his decision to pursue aviation, while his father was more accepting of the career choice.

The incident aboard FZ1073 took place while the aircraft was travelling from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel. Flydubai confirmed that an incident occurred on the flight deck and that the aircraft was diverted to Tabuk, where it landed safely. The airline has said its flights to and from Israel would be suspended while the incident is investigated.

Netanyahu also praised Machchhar and the passengers and crew members who intervened during the cockpit struggle. However, details surrounding the incident, including the motive of the other pilot and the precise sequence of events, remain under investigation. Flydubai has urged against speculation before the inquiry is completed.

The passengers were later transported to Israel after the emergency diversion, while authorities continued investigating the incident.

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The Hans India