Injured Flydubai captain Smit Machchhar foils co-pilot's attack in cockpit, saving 174 lives

The bravery of Captain Smit Machchhar, who is of Indian origin, is being discussed around the world. As an attempt was made to take over a plane flying thousands of feet up and crash it, and he came under a life-threatening attack in the cockpit, he saved the lives of hundreds of passengers without regard for his own.

The incident involved a Flydubai plane flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv in Israel. An Omani co-pilot tried a suicidal attack, which Captain Machchhar foiled. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have openly praised him for his courage.

Mr Modi saluted Captain Machchhar in a post on the social media platform X. He said, "Captain Smit Machchhar is a true hero. Facing an extremely grave threat, and despite being seriously injured himself, he showed boundless courage and unshakeable resolve to save the lives of others. His bravery has saved hundreds of lives and averted a major tragedy. India is proud of Captain Machchhar. I pray that he recovers fully and as soon as possible and enjoys good health."

Mr Netanyahu also praised the Indian captain's courage. He said, "I bow to Captain Smit Machchhar for the incomparable courage he showed. Though seriously wounded after a sharp weapon was thrust into his body, he fought, stood his ground and opened the cockpit door. This allowed the passengers and crew members together to overpower the attacker, and a terrible tragedy was averted. Captain Machchhar has saved the lives of 174 passengers, including Israeli citizens. He is an example of a true hero."

Mr Trump also reacted to the incident. He said that although he was seriously injured by the knife attack in the cockpit and drenched in blood, Captain Machchhar opened the cockpit door and called for help. Not giving up and keeping a cool head in such extremely difficult circumstances is extraordinary, he said. About the co-pilot's intentions, Mr Trump said, "He was probably a terrorist or some deranged crank."

After Flydubai flight FZ1073 took off and was at 34,000 feet, the squawk code "7700" was suddenly sent to the control room. Shortly afterwards the aircraft sent the code "7500", which is generally used when an aircraft is hijacked or subjected to unlawful interference.

The Omani co-pilot was preparing to take control of the plane and crash it. He suddenly stabbed Captain Smit Machchhar with a knife. Seriously injured by the stabbing, the captain still fought back and opened the cockpit door so that help could come from outside. There were 150 Israeli passengers on board, so fears of a hijacking caused alarm on all sides. The plane changed course and turned towards Saudi Arabia. Israeli fighter jets reached the spot at once and escorted the plane for its safety.

In this thriller, one surprising thing happened: as soon as the cockpit door opened, an Israeli passenger rushed to help. He went straight into the cockpit and pulled the attacking co-pilot out of his seat and onto the floor. The other passengers and the cabin crew then fully overpowered him.

Mr Trump told the media that when the passenger was asked how he had done all this, he said he was a big fan of a TV show called "Air Disasters". He had learned some basic information about controlling an aircraft from watching the show. Extra pilots then took over the controls, and the injured Captain Machchhar carried out a safe emergency landing at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia.

Captain Smit Machchhar, of Indian origin, joined Flydubai as a pilot in 2022. Before that he was a pilot with SpiceJet for about 10 years. He currently lives in Dubai with his family. He is being treated in hospital for the serious injury in the attack, and his condition is improving rapidly. In view of the seriousness of the incident, Flydubai has suspended all its flights to and from Israel for now.