Meet Smit Machchhar: Indian pilot stabbed in cockpit who helped save 174 lives on Dubai-Tel Aviv flight

A flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was cruising at high altitude on Wednesday when the aircraft suddenly lost more than 14,000 feet in less than a minute. Inside the cockpit, the captain had reportedly been attacked and stabbed by his co-pilot.The pilot at the centre of the incident is Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national and experienced Boeing 737 captain. Despite being injured, Machchhar is reported to have fought back and helped open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to reach the cockpit and overpower the attacker. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 was eventually diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where Machchhar was taken to hospital.Meet Captain Smit MachchharMachchhar has been a captain with flydubai since June 2022. Before joining the Dubai-based airline, he spent around 11 years with SpiceJet in India.According to his professional profile cited by Indian media, Machchhar has around 9,750 flying hours on Boeing 737 aircraft. At SpiceJet, he served as a senior commander and later as a Line Training Captain, a role that involved training and assessing other pilots.His experience includes flying both the Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX aircraft. At flydubai, he joined as a Direct Entry Captain and has been based in Dubai.What happened aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073?Flight FZ1073 was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when a violent incident occurred inside the cockpit. Israeli officials and media reports have said the co-pilot, identified as an Omani national, attacked Machchhar and attempted to take control of the aircraft.The aircraft then experienced a rapid descent. Flight-tracking data cited by Indian media showed the plane dropping about 14,300 feet in roughly 37 seconds. A distress situation followed, and the aircraft was diverted to Tabuk in north-western Saudi Arabia.Flydubai has confirmed that an incident occurred on board and said the aircraft was safely diverted and landed at Tabuk. The airline has also urged people not to speculate about the reasons behind the incident while the investigation continues.How did passengers reach the cockpit?Reports say Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door despite his injuries. Passengers and crew then entered the cockpit and helped overpower the co-pilot.Two off-duty pilots who were travelling as passengers also helped take control of the aircraft before it made the emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.Machchhar was taken to hospital in Tabuk and underwent surgery. Reports on Thursday said he was in stable condition.Why his aviation experience mattersMachchhar's background is significant because he was not a relatively new pilot facing an unfamiliar emergency. His professional profile lists extensive experience flying Boeing 737 aircraft and years spent training other pilots at SpiceJet.The incident has also drawn attention because of the role played by the cockpit door. Modern commercial aircraft use reinforced cockpit doors designed to prevent unauthorised entry during flight. In this case, however, the crisis was reportedly already inside the cockpit.The investigation is still in its early stages, and the motive behind the attack has not been established. What is known is that an experienced Indian captain was seriously injured during the flight, passengers and crew intervened, and the aircraft landed safely at Tabuk.Get the latest Education News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.