Israel to confer top civilian honour on Indian pilot who saved 174 after cockpit axe attack
Captain Smit Machhar, wounded when his co-pilot attacked him with an axe on a flydubai flight, will receive Israel's highest civilian honour, President Isaac Herzog has announced.
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Captain Smit Machhar, chief pilot of a flydubai aircraft, saved all 174 people on board without regard for his own life, and Israeli President Isaac Herzog has announced that he will receive Israel's highest civilian honour, the Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism.
The incident took place in the cockpit while the flydubai aircraft was in flight. Co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami suddenly attacked Captain Machhar with an axe, intending to hijack the plane and bring it down. Captain Machhar was badly injured and bled heavily.
Even so, he did not lose heart. Ignoring his pain, he managed to open the cockpit security door. As soon as it opened, other passengers and off-duty staff on board rushed into the cockpit and overpowered the co-pilot.
During the struggle in the cockpit, control of the aircraft was lost for a short time. Within just two minutes the plane dropped 16,000 feet. On receiving the alert about the hijacking and the incident, the crew skilfully turned the aircraft around and made an emergency landing at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia. All 174 passengers and crew members on board survived unharmed because of Captain Machhar's quick action.
Praising those who emerged as heroes of the incident, President Herzog singled out Captain Machhar's contribution. "The remarkable courage that Captain Smit Machhar showed even in an injured state is praiseworthy. His dedication and sense of duty are unmatched. He not only saved the lives of 174 people but also foiled a major terror attack," he said.
Herzog said Captain Machhar is currently being treated at a hospital in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Once his health improves, he will be given Israel's highest honour.
The praise has not come from Israel alone. In the United States, New Jersey Congressman Josh Gottheimer has introduced a resolution in the US Congress in honour of Smit Machhar. Former US President Trump also praised Captain Machhar's courage and called him a "true hero".
