From textile engineering to cockpit hero: Indian pilot wins praise after flydubai drama
By Aftab Ahmed and Saurabh Sharma NEW DELHI, Oct 1 (Reuters) - 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,…
Indian pilot Smit Machchhar, credited with averting a crash of a flydubai jet en route to Israel, is being hailed as a hero. Aviation, however, was not his childhood ambition. The 39-year-old, who now possesses nearly 10,000 flying hours, was destined for the family's textile business until his 19th year when he discovered a newfound fascination with flying.
Despite early resistance from his mother, Machchhar ultimately pursued his newfound passion, completing aviation training in New Zealand and eventually joining SpiceJet before transferring to flydubai in 2022. His dedication and bravery were on full display when he was stabbed by a co-pilot mid-air, attempting to crash the aircraft carrying 174 passengers and crew.
Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew to overpower the assailant. Two flydubai pilots, also passengers, assisted in landing the plane safely. The Mumbai resident, who prefers to keep his personal and professional lives separate, is currently recovering in a Saudi Arabian hospital. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have both praised Machchhar, calling him a true hero.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
