Stories
Trump Hails flydubai Pilot, Plumber for Foiling Mid-Air Attack
N
News18•01-10-2026, 04:30
Trump Hails flydubai Pilot, Plumber for Foiling Mid-Air Attack
- •US President Donald Trump recounted a dramatic incident where a flydubai pilot, Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, fought off a co-pilot's knife attack aimed at crashing the aircraft.
- •Trump stated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed him about a plumber, a passenger with no flying experience, who intervened to steady the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight.
- •The pilot, despite being in "very bad shape," managed to open the cockpit door and call for help, leading to the co-pilot being restrained.
- •According to Trump, the plumber learned basic flying concepts from watching the television program "Air Disasters" and used this knowledge to assist.
- •Trump emphasized that he was recounting an account he received from Netanyahu and other sources, not independently confirmed facts.
Key Questions Answered
US President Donald Trump hailed the flydubai pilot, identified as Indian national Smit Machchhar, as a hero for fighting off a knife attack from the co-pilot, opening the cockpit door, and calling for help to prevent the aircraft from crashing.
According to accounts, an Israeli passenger who worked as a plumber entered the cockpit, pulled the co-pilot from his seat, threw him backward for other passengers to restrain, and helped steady the aircraft using basic concepts learned from watching the television program Air Disasters.
The Dubai-Tel Aviv flight landed safely in Saudi Arabia after the pilot fought off the knife attack and additional pilots and security personnel reached the cockpit to take control.
