Dubai: An Indian pilot, Captain Smit Machchhar, reportedly fought off his co-pilot after an altercation broke out in the cockpit of a flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Israel, preventing a potential disaster involving 174 passengers, including 27 children.
Flydubai Flight FZ 1073 was travelling from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion International Airport on Wednesday morning when the cockpit incident occurred. According to statements cited in the report, one of the pilots allegedly attempted to interfere with the aircraft’s systems during the flight.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement that one pilot stabbed the other and allegedly attempted to crash the aircraft. A crew member and a passenger subsequently entered the cockpit and helped subdue the suspected attacker.
During the struggle, the aircraft reportedly lost more than 17,400 feet in altitude over approximately two minutes. The aircraft was subsequently stabilised and diverted to an airport in Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. All passengers were reported safe, while the suspect was arrested and questioned by Saudi authorities.
Captain Machchhar, who was reportedly injured in the incident, has more than 13 years of commercial flying experience, primarily on Boeing 737 aircraft. He joined SpiceJet in 2011 and worked there for around a decade in several positions, including senior commander and line training captain.
In June 2022, Machchhar joined flydubai as a direct-entry captain. According to the information provided, he has accumulated more than 9,750 flying hours and has served extensively as a line training captain.
Machchhar’s career in aviation began after he shifted away from an initial plan to pursue textile engineering and subsequently management studies. He reportedly became interested in aviation after attending a seminar at the age of 19. He later received pilot training in New Zealand, with the training costing around Rs 16-17 lakh, according to comments cited from a podcast interview.
His brother has also recently joined flydubai, according to the report.
Flydubai said its flights to and from Israel would be suspended during the investigation into the incident.
The flight carried passengers from Israel, India and the United Arab Emirates, while the US State Department said four passengers were American citizens.
The incident comes amid heightened security concerns in Israel ahead of the anniversary of the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack, which triggered a series of regional conflicts.
