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Indian Pilot Smith Machchhar Hailed as Hero for Foiling Mid-Air Attack, Saving 180 Lives
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Firstpost•30-09-2026, 20:11
Indian Pilot Smith Machchhar Hailed as Hero for Foiling Mid-Air Attack, Saving 180 Lives
- •Indian-origin pilot Smith Machchhar prevented his co-pilot from crashing Flydubai flight FZ1073, carrying 180 passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv, following a violent cockpit brawl.
- •Machchhar, a former SpiceJet pilot, joined Flydubai in June 2022 as a direct-entry captain, boasting over 13 years of experience and 9,750 hours flying Boeing 737 aircraft.
- •He spent over 11 years with SpiceJet, accumulating more than 9,500 flying hours, including over 6,400 hours as pilot-in-command.
- •Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the arrest of the pilot who attacked Machchhar and attempted to crash the Israel-bound plane.
- •Danny Danon, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, praised Machchhar as a "heroic" pilot who "fought like a lion" to protect passengers and prevent a major disaster.
Key Questions Answered
The hero captain who stopped his co-pilot from crashing the aircraft is Smith Machchhar, a pilot of Indian origin and a former SpiceJet captain with over 13 years of experience.
A violent cockpit brawl occurred when the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and attempted to crash the Israel-bound plane carrying around 180 passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv, but captain Smith Machchhar fought him off and diverted the flight.
Smith Machchhar is a direct-entry captain who joined Flydubai in June 2022, boasting over 13 years of experience and 9,750 flying hours on Boeing 737 aircraft, following more than 11 years with SpiceJet.
