Smit Machchhar's Kin Relieved After Health Update Following FlyDubai Stabbing; Captain Wins Global Praise
The injured Flydubai captain unlocked the cockpit door and helped crew and passengers stop the aircraft, saving more than 180 people, officials said.
- On Wednesday, Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar was seriously injured during an altercation aboard Flydubai Flight FZ1073 when a co-pilot attacked him; despite his injuries, Machchhar unlocked the cockpit door, enabling passengers and crew to secure the aircraft and land safely in Saudi Arabia.
- A seasoned pilot with more than 13 years of commercial aviation experience, Machchhar previously served as a Line Training Captain at SpiceJet and has logged around 9,750 flying hours. Before relocating to Dubai, he lived with his parents at Swastik Heights in Mumbai's Ghatkopar area.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the "tremendous act of heroism" by Machchhar, saying the pilot saved over 180 lives while "fighting for his life" to unlock the cockpit door. Netanyahu told CBS News the actions prevented what could have been "another 9/11."
- Flydubai suspended flights to and from Israel as an investigation into Wednesday's incident continues. Machchhar's parents have traveled to Saudi Arabia to be by his side while he receives medical treatment for injuries sustained during the cockpit altercation.
- Mumbai neighbors, including friends Ashok Makwana and Laxmikant Joshi, are supporting Machchhar's family and praying for his recovery. Residents of his former housing society expressed immense pride in his courage, planning to celebrate his return.
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18 Articles
Flydubai Incident: Capt Smit Machchhar Airlifted To Dubai From Saudi Arabia For Further Treatment
Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar was airlifted to Dubai for medical treatment after being seriously injured in a Flydubai cockpit attack that forced the plane to land in Saudi Arabia.
Celebrations Outside Captain Smit Machchhar's Mumbai Residence; Friends and Family Hail Him as 'real Hero'
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Supporters gathered outside Indian Captain Smit Machchhar's residence in Mumbai on Thursday, carrying the Tricolour and his photographs, saluting his picture and raising slogans hailing him as a "real hero" following his role in averting a major mid-air tragedy involving a flydubai flight. India News | Celebrations Outside Captain Smit Machchhar's Mumbai Residence; Friends and Family Hail Him…
"Fighting for his life, he managed to unlock cockpit": Netanyahu recalls Capt Machchhar's bravery on Flydubai flight
"What we know is that this plane that was heading from Dubai to Israel, as they approached Israel, one of the co-pilots stabbed or hit with an axe the other pilot, an Indian pilot. The pilot who was hit, bleeding profusely and fighting for his life, managed to unlock the cockpit door, but the plane was going into a nosedive," he said.
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