Who is Captain Smit Machchhar? Dubai-based flydubai pilot hailed as hero after cockpit attack

Dubai: A Dubai-based Indian pilot with flydubai is being hailed as a hero after a rare and frightening security scare in the skies. He was injured in a violent confrontation on the flight deck of a Wednesday flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv.

Captain Smit Machchhar, a Mumbai-born Boeing 737 veteran of more than 13 years, was lying wounded on the cockpit floor of the plunging jet when he reached the cockpit door release. That let passengers and crew in to stop the co-pilot who had allegedly stabbed him, and the aircraft went on to make a safe emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

Within hours, he was being praised from New Delhi to Jerusalem to Washington. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called him a hero for averting disaster. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu credited the captain and passengers of flight FZ1073 with preventing a catastrophe.

From textiles to the flight deckFlying was not Machchhar's first plan. Reuters reports he was expected to join his family's textile business until he developed a passion for aviation at 19. His mother was initially worried about the choice.

He holds a Diploma in Man-Made Textile Chemistry from the SASMIRA Institute of Man-Made Textiles in Mumbai. He also holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Welingkar Institute of Management. He later trained as a pilot in New Zealand.11 years at SpiceJetAccording to his LinkedIn profile, Machchhar was with SpiceJet from June 2011 to June 2022. He rose to Senior Commander and Line Training Captain, and held the training role from November 2020.

He logged more than 9,500 hours at the airline, over 6,400 of them as pilot-in-command. As a training captain, he ran line training, checks and mentoring for other pilots. He was also responsible for making sure crews followed company procedures and safety standards.

Life at flydubaiMachchhar joined flydubai in June 2022 as a Direct Entry Captain on the airline's Boeing 737 fleet. His profile lists a total of 9,750 flying hours on the Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX 8/9.

On LinkedIn he describes himself as an "Airline Captain, Lifelong Learner, Father" who helps others "Fly Higher." The profile lists his core skills as pilot mentoring, crew resource management, flight standards and compliance, and leadership in high-workload environments. It also says he hopes to join flydubai's training team.

Reuters reports he prefers to leave aviation talk in the cockpit and rarely discusses it with people on the ground.

What happened on FZ1073On Wednesday, September 30, Machchhar was in command of FZ1073. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv with about 174 people on board.

During the flight, the aircraft set the emergency transponder code 7700. Seven minutes later it switched to 7500, the code for unlawful interference. Flightradar24 data showed the jet losing more than 14,000 feet in 29 seconds.

During the struggle, the captain was reportedly stabbed by the co-pilot. Despite his serious injuries, Machchhar is reported to have fought back and, while lying on the cockpit floor, activated the door release. This allowed passengers and crew to enter and overpower the alleged attacker.

Passenger Musaev told CNN he reached the cockpit to find the attacker on top of the pilot, still stabbing him. Netanyahu identified Yaniv Hayun as the passenger who entered the cockpit.

The aircraft diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia and landed safely. flydubai sent replacement aircraft to Tabuk to take passengers and crew on to their destination.

Indian Embassy confirms captain is stableThe Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate General of India in Jeddah confirmed on Wednesday that Machchhar was injured in the incident. They said he is receiving medical treatment at a hospital in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. He underwent surgery and is reported to be in stable condition.

In a post on X, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh saluted Captain Machchhar's courage and said that despite his severe injury he helped save many lives. The embassy said he is receiving the medical care he needs and is stable. It added that the nation stands with pride beside him and his family. The embassy also shared Prime Minister Modi's tribute and pinned it to its profile.

What flydubai saidIn its statement, flydubai said an "altercation" occurred on the flight deck. It did not mention a stabbing. The airline said on-duty flydubai crew travelling on the flight secured the aircraft, diverted it and landed safely in Tabuk. It also urged all parties to avoid premature speculation while authorities gather the facts.

Praise from world leadersModi wrote on X that Machchhar is a hero whose courage helped save hundreds of lives, and said India is proud of him. Netanyahu called him a "true hero" who saved 174 lives, and credited both the pilot and the passengers with averting catastrophe. Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office, US President Donald Trump also called Machchhar a hero. Trump said the co-pilot was perhaps a terrorist or "a whack job."President of India Droupadi Murmu also paid tribute on X, saying the nation is proud of Captain Machchhar. She praised his "incredible presence of mind." She said that even after being seriously injured, he stayed determined to protect others and helped prevent a major tragedy. She saluted his "indomitable spirit" and prayed for his speedy recovery.

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana said Israelis were praying for his recovery. Israel's Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, and India's Ambassador to the US, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, also praised the pilot.

Reaction on social mediaThe story quickly trended in India on X, where journalists, actors and cricketers praised the captain. Senior journalist Aditya Raj Kaul was among them, and several Bollywood and cricket personalities called him a real hero. Israeli commentator Eitan Fischberger called him "a hero among heroes." One user replying to Modi's post noted that the captain was being praised from Israel to India and from the UAE to the USA.