Stories
Indian-Origin Pilot Smit Machchhar Hailed for Averting Potential 9/11-Style Attack on flydubai Flight
- •Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian-origin pilot, reportedly fought off his co-pilot to prevent a potential crash of flydubai flight FZ1073 carrying 180 passengers from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
- •Machchhar, a former SpiceJet pilot with over 13 years of experience, was allegedly attacked by his co-pilot during the flight, leading to an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
- •Israeli officials, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, described the incident as a "terrorist" attack, alleging the co-pilot attempted to crash the aircraft.
- •Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft losing significant altitude, dropping from nearly 34,000 feet to below 17,000 feet in one minute during the incident.
- •flydubai confirmed an "altercation occurred in the flight deck" and stated that the underlying reasons and motives are under formal investigation, urging against premature conclusions.
Key Questions Answered
Smit Machchhar is an Indian national and former SpiceJet pilot who joined flydubai as a direct-entry captain. During flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, he reportedly fought off his co-pilot during an altercation in the cockpit, helping prevent an attempt to take control of the aircraft and crash it.
The flight was diverted to Saudi Arabia and made a safe emergency landing at Tabuk airport at around 9:45 am local time. Both the captain and the co-pilot were injured during the incident and subsequently transported to a hospital.
flydubai confirmed that an altercation occurred in the flight deck, noting the aircraft was secured by on-duty crew travelling onboard and diverted safely. Meanwhile, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir characterized the event as a terrorist attack, though the airline urged against drawing conclusions before a formal investigation is completed.
