Stories
Pilot Smit Machchhar's Dramatic Journey: From Textile Engineer to Aviation Hero
- •Captain Smit Machchhar, a former textile engineer, gained international attention after a dramatic incident aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30.
- •Machchhar was reportedly injured during a violent confrontation in the cockpit after the aircraft was already in the air, leading to a diversion to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
- •Despite his injuries, Machchhar managed to release the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to intervene and help restrain the other pilot.
- •He initially pursued textile engineering and management before attending an aviation seminar at 19, which led him to pursue commercial pilot training in New Zealand.
- •With over 13 years of commercial flying experience and 9,750 hours on Boeing 737 aircraft, Machchhar has built a career spanning SpiceJet and Flydubai, where he served as a senior commander and line training captain.
Key Questions Answered
Smit Machchhar initially pursued textile engineering after completing Class 12 and moved toward management, but at age 19, he attended an aviation seminar that changed his career path. He then traveled to New Zealand for commercial pilot training before returning to India to build his aviation career.
Machchhar has over 13 years of commercial flying experience and approximately 9,750 hours on Boeing 737 aircraft. He spent over a decade at SpiceJet flying Boeing aircraft and rising to senior commander and line training captain, before moving to Flydubai as a direct-entry captain in June 2022.
During the flight, a violent confrontation occurred in the cockpit where Captain Machchhar was seriously attacked by the co-pilot, causing the aircraft to descend rapidly by over 14,000 feet in about 30 seconds. Despite his injuries, Machchhar managed to release the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to intervene and restrain the other pilot before the flight diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, and landed safely.
