Tel Aviv: Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar has been praised for his actions during a serious cockpit incident on a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Machchhar was stabbed by the co-pilot during the flight but managed to open the cockpit door despite his injuries, allowing passengers and crew members to intervene.
The incident occurred on Flydubai flight FZ1073 on September 30. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. Passengers were later flown to Tel Aviv on a replacement flight.
Co-pilot allegedly attacked captain
According to Israeli officials, the confrontation began when the co-pilot allegedly attacked Machchhar with a knife. The motive and circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.
Despite being injured, Machchhar managed to unlock the cockpit door. Passengers and crew members then entered the flight deck and restrained the co-pilot.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Machchhar’s actions helped prevent a potentially serious incident.
“My salute to the Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar for his extraordinary bravery. Despite being stabbed and seriously injured, he fought back, resisted, opened the cockpit door, and enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker — preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster,” Netanyahu wrote.
Netanyahu said Machchhar helped save the lives of 174 people on board and wished him a speedy recovery.
Passengers intervened inside cockpit
Passenger Yaniv Hayoun later told Netanyahu that he entered the cockpit, placed the attacker in a chokehold and pulled him away from the flight controls. Other passengers and crew members also helped restrain the co-pilot.
Two off-duty Flydubai pilots travelling as passengers then took control of the aircraft. They stabilised the flight and diverted it to Tabuk Airport.
Flight-tracking data showed that the aircraft lost altitude rapidly during the emergency.
Who is Smit Machchhar?
Machchhar has more than 13 years of commercial aviation experience and around 9,750 flying hours, mainly on Boeing 737 aircraft.
Before joining Flydubai, he spent around 11 years with SpiceJet, where he served as a senior commander and line training captain. He joined Flydubai as a direct-entry captain in June 2022.
His parents travelled to Tabuk after learning that he had been injured. His brother has also reportedly joined Flydubai as a pilot.
Co-pilot detained after landing
The co-pilot accused of attacking Machchhar was taken into custody by Saudi authorities after the aircraft landed in Tabuk.
Israeli officials have described the incident as a possible attempt to take control of the aircraft. However, the motive and exact sequence of events remain under investigation.
The co-pilot has been identified by Israeli officials as an Omani national, although details surrounding his identity and motive have not been independently established.
Flydubai confirmed that an incident occurred on board and that the aircraft was safely diverted to Saudi Arabia. The airline has urged caution against drawing conclusions before the investigation is completed.
Trump comments on incident
US President Donald Trump also spoke about the incident after discussing it with Netanyahu. Trump said the co-pilot could have been “perhaps a terrorist or perhaps a whack job” and praised Machchhar for opening the cockpit door despite his injuries. He also commended the passenger who intervened and helped restrain the attacker.The investigation into the cockpit confrontation and the co-pilot’s motive is continuing.
