Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar was seriously injured inside the cockpit of a Tel Aviv-bound Flydubai jet when, according to Israeli officials, he managed to take one crucial action — open the flight deck door so that others could get inside and overpower his alleged attacker.

The intervention helped avert a potential disaster aboard flight FZ1073, which was carrying 174 people and had suffered a sudden plunge during the cockpit struggle. The Boeing 737 was eventually diverted to Tabuk in northwestern Saudi Arabia and landed safely.

Machchhar, an Indian national and an experienced Boeing 737 captain, is now being treated at a hospital in Tabuk. The Indian Embassy in Riyadh said he was in stable condition.

What happened inside Flydubai flight FZ1073

The flight had left Dubai International Airport for Ben Gurion International Airport when a violent confrontation broke out on the flight deck.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Machchhar’s co-pilot stabbed him and attempted to interfere with the aircraft’s controls. Flydubai itself has confirmed an incident on the flight deck but has urged against speculation about the circumstances or motive while an investigation is under way.

Despite his injuries, Machchhar managed to release the cockpit door, according to accounts cited by Israeli officials. That allowed crew members and passengers to enter the flight deck and restrain the other pilot.

The aircraft lost altitude sharply during the crisis before control was restored. Flight-tracking data also showed that the aircraft transmitted emergency codes before diverting to Tabuk.

Flydubai said on-duty crew travelling aboard the aircraft then secured the flight, diverted it and landed safely at Tabuk Airport. All passengers and crew were accounted for.

Both pilots were taken for medical treatment after landing.

Netanyahu praises Smit Machchlar after cockpit struggle

Netanyahu publicly praised Machchhar as well as the passengers and crew members who intervened during the emergency.

“My salute to the Indian pilot, Captain Smit Machchhar, for his extraordinary bravery,” Netanyahu said.

He credited the captain with fighting back despite being seriously wounded and helping prevent a major mid-air disaster.

The exact motive behind the attack and the full sequence of events aboard FZ1073 remain under investigation.

Flydubai has specifically cautioned against drawing conclusions before investigators establish what happened.

Who is Captain Smit Machchhar? 

Long before the events aboard FZ1073 thrust him into international attention, Machchhar had built much of his aviation career flying Boeing 737 aircraft.

He joined Flydubai as a captain in June 2022 after spending 11 years with SpiceJet, according to his professional profile. At the Indian low-cost carrier, he worked as a senior commander and line-training captain before moving to the Dubai-based airline.

His professional profile lists 9,750 hours of flying experience on Boeing 737 aircraft.

Machchhar had joined SpiceJet in 2011 and later became involved in training and assessing other pilots.

His route to the cockpit was not, however, a straight one.

According to reports, Machchhar initially pursued studies linked to his family’s textile business. He later became interested in aviation after attending a seminar while studying management.

That decision eventually took him to New Zealand for pilot training.

Machchhar has recalled in a podcast that his training cost about Rs 16-17 lakh (RM67,800 – RM72,000). His mother was initially apprehensive about his decision to choose aviation, while his father was more accepting of the change in career.

More than a decade later, that career placed him at the centre of an extraordinary emergency thousands of feet above the ground.

The passengers aboard FZ1073 were subsequently taken onward to Israel after the diversion, while authorities continued their investigation into the episode.

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