From textile engineering to cockpit hero: Indian pilot wins praise after flydubai drama
Indian pilot Smit Machchhar is being hailed as a hero after preventing a potential crash of a flydubai jet following an alleged mid-air attack by his co-pilot. Machchhar, who arrived in aviation later in life, managed to secure the cockpit despite being seriously injured.
Why it matters
The incident highlights critical aviation safety concerns and the potential for security threats within flight crews.
For Indian pilot Smit Machchhar, hailed as a hero for averting a crash of a flydubai jet bound for Israel, aviation was never part of his childhood dreams.
Machchhar had his sights set on the family’s textile business, until the aviation bug bit at the age of 19, which scared his mother.
Now even after thousands of hours of flying, Machchhar’s love of aviation is something he keeps in the cockpit, reluctant to discuss with those on the ground.
“Captain Smit Machchhar is a HERO,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on X. “In the face of the gravest danger and despite being seriously injured, he showed immense courage and an unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called him a “true hero”.
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