During a dramatic mid-air incident, Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar fought to regain control of a flydubai flight after being attacked by his co-pilot. The flight, en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was forced to make an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, following the attack. Machchhar, who sustained multiple injuries, is currently recovering in a hospital in Abu Dhabi.
The incident unfolded when the co-pilot, identified as an Omani national, attacked Machchhar in the cockpit. Despite his injuries, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to intervene and restrain the co-pilot. The aircraft, a Boeing 737 carrying 182 people, was in a steep descent at the time but landed safely in Saudi Arabia. Authorities have detained the co-pilot, and the motive behind the attack is still under investigation.
In a video call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Machchhar shared his harrowing experience, emphasizing the urgency he felt to regain control of the situation to protect the passengers’ lives. He credited the Hanuman Chalisa, a Hindu prayer, for giving him strength during the ordeal.
Machchhar, originally from Mumbai, has been with flydubai for around four years and previously spent over a decade flying with SpiceJet, amassing thousands of flight hours. His resilience during the crisis has been widely commended as the investigation into the co-pilot’s actions continues in Saudi Arabia.