The flydubai hero who thwarted an alleged sabotage attempt by his co-pilot during a mid-air cockpit clash has been identified as an Indian aviator, sources said.
Captain Smit Machchhar fought off the co-pilot who allegedly tried to sabotage the plane’s systems, saving the lives of as many as 180 passengers on board the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight, they added.
Stabbed during the clash, he was left bloodied and struggling to speak, as visuals showed passengers praising him as a hero.
The confrontation sparked brief hijacking fears earlier today, but it was soon ruled out, with some fellow pilots taking over the cockpit and securing a safe landing to a diverted location in Saudi Arabia.
Read : Passenger Claims Pilot Tried To Crash flydubai Plane En Route To Tel Aviv
Who is Captain Machchhar?
Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian citizen, had been working with flydubai, a low-cost carrier owned by the Emirati government, for four years. He had worked for SpiceJet for 10 years prior to that.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Captain Machchhar has over 13 years of commercial flying experience on the Boeing 737 fleet. He served as a line training captain extensively and has over 9,750 hours of flying hours.
Captain Machchhar joined SpiceJet in 2011 and had served in several roles at the economical airline, including as a line training captain and a senior commander. In June 2022, he quit SpiceJet and joined flydubai as a direct entry captain.
Read : “He Attacked Us, We Overpowered Him”: Video Emerges From flydubai Plane
What Happened On Flight FZ 1073
Flight FZ 1073 was heading from Dubai International (DXB) to Ben Gurion International Airport this morning when an altercation broke out on the flight deck, according to flydubai.
Cruising mid-air, a pilot tried to sabotage the plane’s system, said Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a video statement. Captain Machchhar tried to fight him off but was stabbed. Visuals showed him on the floor, with blood all over his face and hands.
“During the flight, as the aircraft was approaching Israel, one of the pilots stabbed the other pilot and attempted to crash the plane with everyone on board,” he said. However, a crew member and a passenger broke into the cockpit and “subdued” the suspect.
The aircraft dropped over 17,400 feet over two minutes during the cockpit struggle, but Netanyahu said a crew member entered the cockpit and stabilised the aircraft. “I salute these heroes, who demonstrated extraordinary resourcefulness and courage. They saved many lives and prevented a major disaster,” he added.
Read : Dentist, Off-Roster Pilots, Bravery: What Saved 180 Aboard flydubai Plane
The aircraft was forced to divert and safely land at an airport in Saudi Arabia. All the passengers are safe, while the suspect has been arrested and is being questioned by the Saudis.
Hijacking Attempt?
The plane initially transmitted the international emergency code 7700, Israeli media cited flight-tracking data as showing, referring to the globally recognised code for hijacking.
This was ruled out after the distress code was changed to 7500, which is recognised for unlawful interference.
Flydubai, however, said the underlying reasons and motives behind the incident remain unknown and subject to a formal investigation. We urge all parties to refrain from premature speculation while authorities gather the facts, it said.
