Injured Mumbai pilot Smit Machhar lands Flydubai plane safely with 180 on board after cockpit knife attack
Captain Smit Machhar, badly hurt in a knife attack by the co-pilot, regained control and landed the plane at Tabuk in Saudi Arabia.
Mumbai pilot Captain Smit Machhar carried out a safe emergency landing of a Flydubai aircraft despite being seriously injured. There were 180 passengers on board. A bloody attack had broken out without warning in the cockpit of the aircraft, flying thousands of feet up.
The incident happened during flight FZ1073 of Flydubai, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. According to reports, the co-pilot attacked Captain Machhar with a knife in the cockpit, a assault that could have been fatal.
The sudden attack disrupted control in the cockpit, and in just 37 seconds the aircraft dropped about 14,300 feet. Panic spread among the passengers.
Covered in blood and seriously wounded, Machhar did not give up and took control of the aircraft again. With the help of the rest of the crew, the accused co-pilot was restrained on the spot. The aircraft was then landed safely at Tabuk in Saudi Arabia.
Captain Machhar is originally from Mumbai and is a highly experienced commercial pilot. The presence of mind and courage he showed in a crisis are being seen as the result of his long experience.
Captain Machhar has more than 9,750 hours of flying experience on different variants of the Boeing 737. He worked for about 11 years at SpiceJet. He then joined Flydubai in June 2022 as a direct-entry captain. He also trains new pilots as a line training captain.
The Mumbai man, who saved 180 lives despite danger to his own life and heavy bleeding, is being praised around the world.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also praised his courage. Writing on the social media platform X, he said: "Captain Smit Machhar is a hero. In the face of the greatest danger and despite being seriously injured, he showed remarkable courage and unwavering resolve to save the lives of others. His bravery saved hundreds of lives and averted a major tragedy. India is proud of Captain Machhar. I pray that he recovers soon and is blessed with new strength and good health."
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