New Delhi: US President Donald Trump has praised Indian flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar after he was stabbed by his co-pilot during a Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight, saying the injured pilot showed remarkable presence of mind during the emergency.
Trump described Machchhar as a “hero” while recounting information he said he had received from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other early sources. He said the Indian captain was in very bad condition after the attack but managed to act in a way that helped prevent a potentially catastrophic outcome.
The incident occurred aboard flydubai flight FZ1073 on September 30 while the Boeing 737 was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The aircraft issued an emergency alert and was diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. All 174 people on board were accounted for.
Trump calls injured pilot a hero
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said Machchhar had been seriously injured when the co-pilot attacked him inside the cockpit.
Trump said the captain was able to open the cockpit door and fall back while calling for help. According to accounts cited by Israeli officials, this allowed passengers and other crew members to enter the cockpit and help restrain the attacker.
“The pilot was in very bad shape; I guess he still is in very bad shape,” Trump said, while praising Machchhar’s actions.
Trump added that he had heard the account from Netanyahu and other sources and cautioned that he had not independently verified every detail.
That distinction is important because authorities are still investigating the precise sequence of events and the motive behind the cockpit attack. Flydubai has also urged against premature speculation while the investigation continues.
Co-pilot allegedly tried to take control
According to reports citing Israeli officials, the co-pilot was an Omani national and allegedly attacked Machchhar in an attempt to take control of the aircraft.
The aircraft experienced a dramatic loss of altitude during the incident. Flight-tracking data cited by Hindustan Times showed the aircraft falling about 14,300 feet in 37 seconds before the situation stabilised. NDTV, citing Flightradar24 data, reported that the aircraft had been cruising at around 34,000 feet before its rapid descent.
Israeli officials have described the incident as a suspected attempt to crash the aircraft. However, the underlying motive has not been conclusively established and remains part of the official investigation.
The flight eventually diverted to Prince Sultan Bin Abdel Aziz Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where the injured pilots were taken for medical treatment.
Passengers and crew helped restrain attacker
Trump also highlighted the actions of passengers who intervened after the cockpit door was opened.
He described one Israeli passenger as a plumber with no formal flying experience who entered the cockpit and helped overpower the co-pilot. Trump said the passenger had told him that he had gained some basic knowledge about aviation by watching the television programme Air Disasters.
Other passengers and crew members also became involved in restraining the attacker.
Reports indicate that additional pilots were travelling on the aircraft and later helped regain control of the flight. Flydubai said its on-duty crew secured the aircraft and diverted it safely to Tabuk.
The episode involved several people acting under extreme circumstances, with the injured captain’s actions helping create an opportunity for others to enter the cockpit and intervene.
Who is Captain Smit Machchhar?
Machchhar is an Indian national who has worked as a commercial pilot for more than a decade.
According to information from his professional profile reported by Indian Express and Hindustan Times, he joined flydubai as a captain in June 2022 after spending about 11 years with SpiceJet. He had worked as a senior commander and line training captain at the Indian airline. His profile lists around 9,750 hours of flying experience on Boeing 737 aircraft.
His experience includes operating and training on Boeing 737 aircraft, including the 737 MAX 8. The experience has become a focus of attention following the emergency, although investigators have yet to publish a complete account of how control of the aircraft was restored.
Machchhar was taken to hospital after the aircraft landed in Saudi Arabia. Reports said he underwent medical treatment following the attack, while the co-pilot was also taken into custody by Saudi authorities.
Netanyahu and others praise Machchhar
Trump was not the only prominent leader to praise the Indian pilot.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly thanked Machchhar for his actions, saying the captain had resisted the attack, opened the cockpit door and helped passengers and crew overpower the attacker.
Netanyahu said Machchhar’s actions helped prevent a major disaster and credited him with helping save the lives of the 174 people aboard the flight.
The praise has also extended to the passengers and crew who intervened during the emergency. Their actions became crucial after the cockpit confrontation disrupted the flight and caused its sudden descent.
Investigation into motive continues
While Israeli authorities have described the incident as a suspected terrorist attack, the exact motive behind the co-pilot’s actions remains under investigation.
The identification of the co-pilot as an Omani national has been reported by Israeli and international media, but officials have not publicly established a final motive for the attack. Flydubai has said that the reasons behind the incident were unknown at the early stage and remained subject to a formal investigation.
The incident has also prompted scrutiny of aviation security because the confrontation occurred inside the cockpit while the aircraft was in flight.
For Machchhar, the episode has brought international attention to his actions during an extraordinary emergency. Despite suffering serious injuries, his ability to open the cockpit and call for assistance became a key part of the response that allowed passengers, crew and other pilots to intervene.
The aircraft ultimately landed safely in Saudi Arabia, preventing the loss of the 174 people aboard. The investigation will now seek to establish the full sequence of events, the circumstances surrounding the cockpit attack and the motive behind it.