Who is Smit Machchhar? Hero Indian flydubai captain was former SpiceJet pilot, has 9,750 flying hours on Boeing aircraft
Identified as Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot was stabbed by his Omani co-pilot en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv
An Indian captain with flydubai, Smit Machchhar, was stabbed by his co-pilot during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, leading to an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia and a hijack scare.
An Indian captain with flydubai, Smit Machchhar, was stabbed by his co-pilot during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, leading to an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia and a hijack scare.
An Indian captain with flydubai, Smit Machchhar, was stabbed by his co-pilot during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, leading to an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia and a hijack scare.
The captain of a flydubai flight who was attacked mid-air in the cockpit by his co-pilot was identified as an Indian with previous stint in SpiceJet.
Identified as Smit Machchhar, the Indian pilot was stabbed by his Omani co-pilot in the cockpit en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The flight, which was flying over Jordan, eventually made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia's Tabuk airport. All passengers aboard are safe.
Israel has claimed that it was a "terrorist" attack while a probe is still on. Both pilots are hospitalised in Saudi Arabia.
Who is Smit Machchhar?
Smit Machchhar is currently a Direct Entry Captain with flydubai. He has a total of 9,750 flying hours to his credit, with 13 years of experience in operating Boeing 737-800 and Boeing 737 Max 8/9. Of this, more than 6,400 flying hours were completed as a Pilot in Command (PIC). A Pilot in Command makes all final decisions and handles emergencies even if another pilot actively manipulates the controls.
Machchhar was previously employed with SpiceJet as a Line Training Captain. His professional expertise includes pilot mentoring and line training.
During the mid-air altercation in the cockpit, the aircraft appeared to have rapidly descended by nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds before the first emergency signal.
The emergency signals transmitted by the aircraft include a code associated with unlawful interference. This led to a hijack scare and Israel eventually scrambled its warplanes. Once the cockpit was secured, the flight was diverted to Saudi Arabia and landed in Tabuk airport.