'Everyone Trains, This Took Courage': Smit Machchhar's Ex-Colleague On His Heroics
Captain Smit Machchhar is being hailed as a hero for his quick thinking and courage during a mid-flight attack by his co-pilot on a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight. Despite being stabbed, he managed to secure the cockpit and ensure the safety of 174 passengers.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the critical importance of pilot training and presence of mind in preventing catastrophic aviation disasters during in-flight security threats.
Captain Smit Machcchar is not only well-trained but also "a good person" who puts others before himself, an ex-colleague said about the Indian pilot who fought off an attack by his co-pilot in the cockpit on a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight on September 30 and saved 174 lives."He is a very nice, humble, and very respectful guy. He respects everyone," said pilot Teena Goswami, who was his colleague at SpiceJet, where he worked before joining flydubai four years ago.Asked about how a pilot would react in such a situation, Goswami noted that Captain Machchhar had to open the cockpit door and press the emergency codes while he was being stabbed by the co-pilot, who is currently in custody in Saudi Arabia, where the plane landed after off-duty pilots onboard took over."We are trained for all situations. We have six-monthly sessions, simulator sessions.
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