Stories
Indian Pilot Stabbed Mid-Flight, Diverts Plane, Prevents Catastrophe
- •Captain Smit Machchhar was airlifted to Abu Dhabi for advanced medical treatment after being stabbed by his co-pilot on a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
- •Despite serious injuries, Machchhar unlocked the cockpit door, allowing crew and passengers to overpower the attacker, preventing a potential 9/11-style tragedy.
- •The Boeing 737, with 174 people on board, was safely diverted to Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia.
- •Machchhar, with over 13 years of experience and nearly 9,750 flying hours, is being praised by Indian and international leaders for his heroism.
- •Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel announced the 'Visisht Gujarat Garima Award' for Machchhar, while PM Modi and Israeli PM Netanyahu lauded his courage.
Key Questions Answered
Captain Smit Machchhar was seriously stabbed by his co-pilot during a mid-air cockpit attack on a Flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, but he managed to unlock the cockpit door so crew and passengers could overpower the attacker before the plane landed safely in Saudi Arabia, and he was later airlifted to Abu Dhabi for medical treatment.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Machchhar's courage and spoke with his family, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lauded his tremendous act of heroism for preventing a potential 9/11-style crash, and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel announced the Visisht Gujarat Garima Award for him.
Captain Machchhar has more than 13 years of experience in commercial aviation with nearly 9,750 flying hours mostly on Boeing 737 aircraft, and he previously spent 11 years serving as a Line Training Captain with SpiceJet.
