Stories
Ex-IAF Pilot Praises Smit Machchhar's Bravery, Expects Award After Cockpit Attack
- •Former Air Force pilot Wing Commander Avinash Chikte (Retd) expressed immense pride in Smit Machchhar's handling of an unprecedented cockpit attack.
- •Machchhar was seriously injured after his co-pilot attempted to crash a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, an incident Chikte says pilots are never trained for.
- •Chikte speculates the co-pilot may have used a 'crash axe' found in cockpits to attack Machchhar, highlighting the unexpected nature of the betrayal of trust.
- •He emphasized that while protocols exist for many emergencies, dealing with a violent crew member is unheard of and goes against the mutual respect fostered in aviation.
- •Chikte believes Smit's actions, which prevented a catastrophic loss of 174 lives, were beyond the call of duty and anticipates a bravery award for him.
Key Questions Answered
During a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, co-pilot Smit Machchhar was stabbed and seriously injured in the cockpit by his co-pilot, who attempted to crash the aircraft. Machchhar fought off the attacker and managed to control the situation, protecting the aircraft and the 174 lives on board.
According to former Air Force fighter pilot Wing Commander Avinash Chikte, a crash axe kept in the cockpit could have been used in the attack. The axe is standard equipment meant to help pilots break open a jammed cockpit door or window after a crash to escape a wreck.
Avinash Chikte notes that while airlines have protocols for sick passengers, unruly behavior, and hijackers, a violent co-pilot is never planned for because no one expects a crew member to behave that way. Cockpits thrive on trust, and handling an attack from within is an extraordinary situation that pilots are never trained to face.
