Dubai: Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian pilot with extensive Boeing 737 experience, has emerged at the centre of a dramatic mid air emergency involving a flydubai flight carrying 174 people, including 27 children.
Machchhar has been flying with flydubai for around four years after spending more than a decade with SpiceJet. He joined SpiceJet in 2011 and served in several roles, including senior commander and line training captain, before moving to flydubai as a direct entry captain in June 2022.
He has more than 13 years of commercial aviation experience and around 9,750 flying hours, primarily on the Boeing 737. He was trained in New Zealand after deciding to pursue aviation as a career at the age of 19.
What happened on the flight
Flydubai Flight FZ1073 was travelling from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion International Airport when a serious confrontation reportedly erupted inside the cockpit.
According to accounts of the incident, one pilot allegedly attacked Machchhar and attempted to interfere with the aircraft’s systems. Machchhar was reportedly injured during the struggle.
The aircraft subsequently lost more than 17,000 feet of altitude within about two minutes as the confrontation unfolded. A crew member and a passenger managed to enter the cockpit and restrain the attacker, allowing control of the aircraft to be restored.
The flight was diverted to Saudi Arabia, where it landed safely. All passengers survived, while the suspect was taken into custody for questioning.
Passengers and flight suspension
Passengers on board included citizens of Israel, India and the United Arab Emirates, while four passengers were reported to hold US citizenship.
Following the incident, flydubai suspended its flights to and from Israel pending an investigation. Machchhar’s actions during the emergency have drawn widespread attention as authorities continue examining exactly how the cockpit confrontation unfolded.
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