Indian pilot Smit Machchhar is being hailed as a hero after he was stabbed by his co-pilot during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv and helped prevent what authorities described as an apparent attempt to bring down the aircraft.
Machchhar, the captain of FlyDubai flight FZ1073, was seriously injured during the incident but managed to respond to the attack and protect the passengers on board. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the Indian pilot for helping save the lives of about 180 people, while President Donald Trump also called Machchhar a “hero.”
The incident unfolded while the Boeing 737 was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv. According to reports, the co-pilot attacked Machchhar inside the cockpit, causing the aircraft to lose altitude rapidly. The plane reportedly plunged nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before the situation was brought under control.
Trump said Machchhar was badly injured but managed to open the cockpit door, move away from the attacker and call for help.
“The pilot was in very bad shape,” Trump said, recalling his conversation with Netanyahu. He described Machchhar as a hero for his actions during the incident.
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Machchhar was taken to a hospital in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after the aircraft landed. The Indian Embassy in Riyadh said it was coordinating with the Indian Consulate General in Jeddah, Machchhar’s family and Saudi authorities following the incident. He later underwent surgery and was reported to be in stable condition. He was subsequently airlifted to Abu Dhabi for additional treatment, according to ANI.
The co-pilot, whom Israeli officials identified as an Omani national, was arrested by Saudi authorities. Investigators have yet to establish the full circumstances and motive behind the cockpit attack.
Who is Smit Machchhar?
Machchhar has spent more than a decade flying commercial aircraft and has held senior roles with both Flydubai and Indian airline SpiceJet.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Machchhar has been a captain with Flydubai’s Boeing 737 fleet since June 2022. His profile lists approximately 9,750 hours of experience flying Boeing 737-800 aircraft as well as the 737 MAX 8 and 737 MAX 9.
Before moving to Flydubai, Machchhar spent about 11 years with SpiceJet in Mumbai. He eventually became a senior commander and was appointed a line training captain in November 2020. The position involved training and assessing other pilots.
His profile also indicates that he joined Flydubai as a direct-entry captain. The position allows an airline to recruit an experienced captain from another carrier and appoint the pilot directly to a captain role.
Machchhar had accumulated more than 6,400 hours as a pilot-in-command during his time at SpiceJet, according to information listed on his professional profile.
Machchhar is from Ghatkopar East in Mumbai and had been living in Dubai because of his work, people familiar with the matter told the Hindustan Times.
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His aviation background also runs in his family. His brother is a pilot with Indian airline Akasa Air.
Outside aviation, Machchhar’s LinkedIn profile lists a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Welingkar Institute of Management, which he completed between 2007 and 2008. His profile does not specify where he completed his flight training.
For now, Machchhar remains hospitalized as investigators examine what happened inside the cockpit and why the co-pilot allegedly attacked him.
The incident has also drawn attention to the experience of the Indian pilot who, despite suffering serious injuries, was able to respond during a rapidly unfolding emergency and help bring the flight under control.
Machchhar took to X on Thursday, hours after creating an account on the platform, to share an update on his condition and thank people for their support. In his first post, the pilot said his health was “now out of danger” and that he was recovering well. He thanked those who had prayed for him, supported him and sent messages of encouragement following the cockpit attack. “I truly appreciate each and every one of you,” Machchhar wrote, signing the message as Smit Machchhar.
As the news of Machchhar’s actions spread, social media users have begun praising the Indian pilot for his courage and drawing comparisons with another Indian aviation hero, Neerja Bhanot. On September 5, 1986, Bhanot, a senior flight attendant aboard Pan Am Flight 73, helped save passengers during a hijacking at Karachi Airport in Pakistan. She was killed after putting herself in danger to protect three children from gunfire during the attack.